


The Chokewood Anthem

by animatedrose



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, どうぶつの森 | Animal Crossing Series
Genre: Arson, Attempted Murder, Blood and Injury, Child Abuse, Crossover, Cruelty, Developing Friendships, Disasters, F/F, F/M, Family Issues, Fleas, Fortune Telling, Gen, Implied Cannibalism, Letters, Macro/Micro, Mega Evolved characters, Missing Persons, Mistaken Identity, Monsters, Mysteries, Neighbors, Nightmares, Pokemon in an Animal Crossing-style world, Pranks, Secrets, Thievery, Train Travel, Violence, anger issues, bad press, from my old fanfiction.net account, gijinka-fied characters, invaders from other towns, isabelle likes the mayor, money comes from rocks, old, tiffany just wants answers, town name changes, town silence, town taboo, unlikely to be continued
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:47:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 41,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24654094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/animatedrose/pseuds/animatedrose
Summary: Tiffany the Dedenne moves to Chokewood, a town drenched in a mystery hidden beneath a taboo and residential silence. Trying to figure out how her mother's childhood home of Ashwood became such a dreary town, she must contend with thieves, troublesome residents, and the rumors of a monster living up the nearby mountain.Is the truth even worth finding?
Kudos: 1





	1. Day 1, June 8th

**Author's Note:**

> Mostly me just bringing over all my stuff from my Fanfiction.net and Fictionpress.com accounts to here so I can keep track of everything better. So enjoy the incompleted stories explosion here!

The train rumbled and shook as it roared over the railroad tracks. The car trembled, sending tingles through the girl’s legs. She absently smoothed her orange skirt with one hand, the other fiddling with the buttons of her white blouse.

She had short orange hair, barely long enough to touch her shoulders, with black hair along the sides of her face. Small black mouse-like ears were folded close to her head, almost buried in her hair. A long black tail with a puff at the end was curled around one leg, twitching nervously. Along with her blouse and skirt, she wore a thin orange coat and shiny black dress shoes. Her brown eyes stared at the floor firmly.

“Um, excuse me? I have a question to ask you, if you don’t mind.”

The girl jumped, surprised by the voice. Looking up, she found a boy with pale hair and cream-colored clothes standing in front of her. He had black cat ears rising above his hair and a shiny golden coin stuck to his forehead. A long cream-colored tail with a curl at the end swung merrily behind him.

“Oh! Uh… Yes?” the girl squeaked nervously. _A Meowth… It’s a cat…_

“It’s 3 PM right now, yes? On June…?”

“Eighth,” she replied, eyes on the ground again. “It’s the eighth today. And the time is indeed 3 PM.”

The Meowth boy smiled. “Oh, good! Then I haven’t completely lost track of time.” He looked around. “Mind if I sit down here?”

He indicated the empty seat across from her.

“…Sure?” she nodded shakily.

“Hey, don’t be scared. I’m not going to eat you or something, you know,” the Meowth reassured, dropping into the seat with a smile. “You’re a Dedenne, right? I haven’t seen one of you for ages. Then again, I haven’t been on the rails in a while. I think it’s been a few years since the last time I’ve rode around so much…”

The Dedenne girl breathed a sigh of relief. _That’s good to hear. I don’t want to be eaten, after all._

“I’m Rover. Nice to meet you!” The Meowth boy held out his hand. “And you are…?”

“…Tiffany,” the Dedenne girl replied after a moment. She nervously shook his hand, careful of the sharp fingernails he had.

“Tiffany,” Rover repeated, smiling. “What a cute name. It’s nice to meet you, Tiffany.”

“S-same,” Tiffany squeaked, looking away in embarrassment. She could feel her cheeks heating up.

“Oh! Am I scaring you? Sorry. I can’t change me being a cat,” Rover admitted, ears falling back in sadness.

“No! It’s not you! It’s me!” Tiffany yelped, the black hair shooting up and resembling whiskers on a mouse. “I just get nervous around cats! And you’re actually really cute and I—uwaaaah!” She turned away, face in her hands. _Why did you say that?!_

“Uh… I’m…cute?” Rover blushed before laughing it off. “No need to be so ashamed. I’ve had that said to me before. No worries, Tiffany.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me today,” Tiffany whimpered, facing him again and staring at her skirt, face still red. “I’ve just been under so much pressure and there’s not enough time and I don’t know where I’m going and—”

“Wait!” Rover cut her off, shocked. “You don’t know where you’re going? How can that be?”

“Well…” Tiffany fisted her hands in her skirt. “You see, I’m moving away from my old home. I’m supposed to be going to Ashwood…but nobody knows where it is. I’ve asked everyone I know. I finally decided to just hop on the train and see if it’ll take me to Ashwood…but the conductor didn’t recognize the name at all. What a mess I’m in!” She looked ready to cry.

“Ashwood? Give me a second… Ashwood, Ashwood, Ashwood…” Rover leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, tapping his chin as he rolled the name over in his mind. “…Hmmm? Could it be…? Yes, it must be. No, it absolutely is!”

“What? Do you know where Ashwood is?” Tiffany asked hopefully.

“Yep! You’re on the right track, actually. You just have the wrong name,” Rover replied.

“The wrong na…? No, I’m certain it’s called Ashwood. My mother used to live there,” Tiffany argued.

“The name got changed five years ago. I recall hearing about it. I’m not certain why it was changed but that place is most certainly Ashwood,” Rover replied, smiling. “You’re looking for a place called Chokewood.”

“Choke…wood? That…doesn’t sound…very welcoming at all,” Tiffany whimpered, shivers racing up her spine.

Rover sighed, shrugging. “I know. Like I said, I’m not sure why the name was changed, but it’s most certainly Ashwood. That’s probably why nobody knows where Ashwood is anymore. They’re used to hearing about Chokewood now.”

“Oh,” Tiffany nodded slowly. “I guess…that makes sense…”

“Well, at least you know where you’re going now,” Rover said merrily. “Better yet, I think it’s the next stop.”

“Really? Then I was right to get on the train after all!” the Dedenne realized.

“It appears so,” Rover nodded, smiling. “So, you’re moving. That must’ve been hard work for you.”

“It was…but it’ll be worth it. If Chokewood is anything like Ashwood was, then I’m going to someplace better,” Tiffany explained. “Of course, I’ve never been there before. I’ve got no idea what to expect…but I’m sure I’ll be okay. My mother has contacted an old friend who will set me up with a house right away.”

“That’s good to hear. It’s no good if you have to sleep outside on your first night. House hunting will be fun,” Rover predicted. “I wish you good luck in your new town. I think I’ll be sticking on the rails for a while…but maybe I’ll visit Chokewood one day.”

“Yeah,” Tiffany nodded, smiling. “Thank you for the help. I might’ve been lost forever if not for you.”

“No problem. Happy to help,” Rover replied. “If you ever jump on the rails again, I should be here.”

“I’ll remember that,” Tiffany promised.

A speaker crackled overhead, making the Dedenne girl jump. **“Now arriving in Chokewood! Chokewood Station!”**

“Well, speak of the devil. Here we are,” Rover commented. “Thank you for talking with me. I haven’t had so much fun on a train ride in years.”

“Same,” Tiffany agreed. “Thank you so much, Rover.”

“No, Tiffany. Thank _you_ ,” Rover corrected. “And, to be honest, you’re pretty cute too.”

Tiffany blushed a vicious red before she snatched up her trunk and dashed down the aisle. Rover laughed happily behind her as the train came to a full stop.

**“This stop is Chokewood! Everyone for Chokewood, exit here!”**

She hopped down the steps, shakily maneuvering her massive trunk so as not to hit the Aipom conductor on the way out. Giving a nervous goodbye to him, she hopped out onto the station floor and watched the train pull away with a roar.

“Chokewood, huh? What a strange name change. I wonder why they changed it to that,” Tiffany muttered, looking around the tiny station. “Well, better get going. I have to find the guy that mom talked about. What was his name? …Oh, yes! Tom Nook!”

The Dedenne girl scurried down the steps of the station…and was surprised to see people gathered outside of the station. She jumped briefly, black hair rising instantly in alarm.

 _Did mom set up a welcoming party or something?_ Tiffany wondered, horribly confused.

To the far right was a girl with long brown hair and brown eyes. She had short antlers rising above her head that were covered in pink flowers and small deer ears stuck out from the sides of her head, almost hidden by her hair. She wore a short brown coat with lighter brown trimming, a tan-colored shirt with a large puff at the front just below the collar, and dark brown pants. A short deer’s tail was barely visible behind her.

“Oh my! Look who it is,” she said, smiling softly at Tiffany.

 _A Sawsbuck? How pretty,_ the Dedenne girl thought in awe.

To her left stood a boy with bluish-purple hair and large yellow eyes. Two triangular ears, the same color as his hair, stuck out from his head. A fang stuck out from either side of his mouth and when he spoke, Tiffany could clearly see sharp teeth. He wore a shawl-like thing over his shoulders with two triangular bits sticking out from the bottom edge. Under that, he wore a red and black striped shirt with bluish-purple pants. In place of his hands was a pair of large pincers. She could see black material hanging behind him but it was pretty well hidden beneath the shawl. A long barbed scorpion-like tail swung about behind him.

“That’s her, right? It’s gotta be her!” he declared, looking eagerly at the Dedenne girl.

 _A Gliscor? Scary…_ Tiffany thought, horrified that—with the look on his face—he may attempt to eat her.

To his left stood a tall guy with dark blue hair and red eyes. He wore a dark blue jacket with a flaming collar, a cream-colored undershirt, and dark blue pants. He didn’t look all that welcoming, arms crossed over his chest with a scowl on his face.

“Well, who else could it be? Nobody else is scheduled to come by train today, Kirk,” he stated, frowning at the Gliscor boy.

 _A Typhlosion…_ Tiffany wanted to flee, frightened by the intimidating Fire-type.

To his left stood a girl with puffy cream-colored hair and dark eyes. A pair of dog ears rose from the sides of her head. She wore a light brown shirt and skirt with a black jacket over it. A short puppy tail wagged behind her. She held a clipboard close to her chest.

“You’re right, Blake. Nobody else is scheduled to come here today. It absolutely must be her,” she declared with a kind smile.

Tiffany instantly relaxed, smiling too. _A Lillipup,_ she thought. _It can’t be so bad if something as innocent as a Lillipup can live here._

“Ready, everyone?” the Lillipup girl asked. “One… Two… From all of us in Chokewood…”

“WELCOME!” they all cried, tossing confetti in the air.

 _I guess I was right. Mom set up a welcoming party for me. Did she know it was changed to Chokewood then? Was this all a test?_ Tiffany wondered, giggling as she brushed confetti from her hair. “Thank you! I’m glad to meet you all!”

“We’re glad to meet you, too. I wasn’t expecting someone so young…but we can make due. It’ll be like a breath of fresh air, having a youngster like you as our mayor!” the Lillipup girl declared.

“Thank yo—wait, what?” Tiffany whirled around, facing the Lillipup. “Mayor? I… You’re mistaken. I’m just a new resident.”

“Of course, you’re that too! No need to be shy, Mayor Tiffany. We’ll let you get settled in before we do anything major,” the Lillipup girl promised.

“No, not that! I’m not your Mayor!” Tiffany explained. “I’m Tiffany, daughter of—”

“—Rosie, yes, we know this. I’ve got most of your paperwork filled out already. Just a few more things left and then we can get started making Chokewood a better place, mayor!” the Lillipup girl said happily.

“What part of ‘I’m not your mayor’ do you not understand?” Tiffany cried, frustrated. _What’s going on here? Mayor? Me? No way! Something’s wrong! Did Rover lie to me? But why?_

“Of course you’re our major! What a kidder, you are. You told us what train you’d arrive on and everything,” the Lillipup girl explained with a smile. “Let’s continue this discussion at the town hall. Everything is just as you said it would be in your letter. We’re so happy you’re here. Well, come along then!”

“W-wait! I’m no—eep!”

Tiffany found herself dragged along by the Lillipup girl, who was definitely stronger than she appeared. The Dedenne girl could do nothing to get free.

 _Just what the heck is going on here?!_ Tiffany wondered in despair. _This isn’t how it’s supposed to be! Not at all!_

“Oh, yes! Here’s a map of Chokewood for you, Mayor Tiffany. Best get it memorized. Wouldn’t want our mayor to get lost in her own town, now would we?” The Lillipup girl shoved a piece of paper into the Dedenne girl’s hands before carrying on.

“Th-there’s been a mistake, really. I’m not your mayor,” Tiffany whimpered, shakily scanning over the map. _Holy! This place is HUGE! What happened to ‘small town living’, mom?_

She looked behind her to see that the other three residents had scattered. The Lillipup girl continued to drag her along, going through wooded areas and across bridges. They finally arrived at a large stone building with the words TOWN HALL placed above the entrance. Tiffany found herself dragged inside and stopped in front of a wooden desk, which the Lillipup girl dashed behind.

“This place will be your base of operations now, Mayor Tiffany,” she declared happily. “My name is Isabelle and I’m your secretary. Probably should’ve mentioned that earlier before dragging you around like that, huh? Sorry! I’m kind of new here myself, but I’ll help you in any way I possibly can, Mayor Tiffany!”

“Look, I’m not joking. I’m really not yo—”

“Since you got here, let’s get going on your resident registration. Our mayor really should be a resident, you know!” Isabelle laughed. “Okay, got your name—Tiffany! Now we need…”

The Lillipup girl froze before dropping her clipboard and clutching her ears in despair.

“Oh no! How could I forget something so vitally important? Oh, my big brother would’ve NEVER made such a mistake! Uwaaaah!”

“Uh… What did you forget?” Tiffany asked, resting a hand nervously on Isabelle’s shoulder.

“In order to register you as a resident, you need an address! You just got here, so you probably don’t even have a house yet. Oh, I’m so stupid!” Isabelle wailed.

“My, uh… My mom told me to see a guy called Tom Nook in order to get my house. Is there…a Tom Nook here?” Tiffany asked cautiously.

Isabelle sprung up, sorrow gone. “Tom Nook! Oh, yes! You can go get a home from him! How could I forget? You’ve got to go see him right away, Mayor Tiffany!”

 _So, Tom Nook is here. This must be Ashwood then,_ Tiffany decided. _But this mayor thing… How did that happen? She mentioned a letter. Did my mom do this?_

“I don’t recall there being any vacant houses here, but I’m sure Tom Nook could build one for you,” Isabelle continued. “I’m sorry for being so flaky. I made you come here to fill out this form for nothing. My brother would be so ashamed of me…”

“Your brother?”

“He was the secretary for our last mayor, who held his position for many years. When he stepped down, my brother decided to let me be the secretary for our new mayor,” Isabelle explained, wringing her hands. “My brother lives in town, along with my father. I had hoped to impress them with my skills as a secretary…but this just shows how much of a newbie I am at this.”

“Everyone’s new at something. Don’t worry,” Tiffany reassured. “I won’t tell anyone.”

“Really? You’d do that for me? Oh, thank you so much, Mayor Tiffany!”

Isabelle lunged forward, hugging the Dedenne girl. Tiffany stiffened up briefly before relaxing. She nervously wound her arms around the Lillipup girl’s back, returning the hug.

 _Maybe this mayor thing won’t be as bad as I thought,_ Tiffany wondered.

“On the other side of the tracks, on Main Street, is Nook’s Homes, the real estate office. Just go back to the train station but keep going north past the tracks. Use your map if you get lost, okay?” Isabelle instructed when she pulled away. “I’ll stay here and work on your registration. Once you’ve got a place to live, come back here and tell me right away.”

“I will,” Tiffany promised. “Be back in a bit!”

The Dedenne girl left the town hall, pulling out the map she had been given.

“Up past the train station… Oh, there it is! I just go north,” she muttered.

Tiffany dashed through the trees and flowers, crossing the bridge and going around the pond. She saw a few other houses along the way.

 _Must be the other residents. I wonder how many there are,_ she wondered.

She soon reached the train station. She quickly crossed the railroad tracks, checking both ways for oncoming trains before daring to cross. Up the stairs was a short street—Main Street. A few buildings lined it. From the symbols on the signs, she could see a shop, a post office, and a museum…not to mention Nook’s Homes itself.

“Time to get myself a house,” she muttered, bravely going inside Nook’s Homes.

Inside was a man with dark brown hair and black eyes. He had long black ears sticking up from his head. He wore a brown sweater with a large white circle on it and dark brown pants. A long, puffy brown tail with black stripes swung behind him slowly.

 _A Sentret,_ Tiffany realized.

“Ah, hello! Welcome! Welcome!” the Sentret man greeted. “Ah, you must be the new mayor! Tiffany, yes? Isabelle told me to expect you. I welcome you on behalf of the Chokewood chamber of commerce, Mayor Tiffany!”

“Um, thanks? I came to—”

“You came to get yourself a home, yes? I can help with that!” the Sentret man exclaimed. “I am Tom Nook, owner of this fine establishment. I can build you a home just about anywhere you please! Of course, I’ll need to know where you want your house located. Do you know where you want your house yet, Mayor Tiffany?”

“Where I want it? Um…” Tiffany frowned. “I haven’t really looked around, I guess.”

“Then allow us to start looking for a place. Building you a house is no good if you don’t like the location,” Tom Nook pointed out. “Allow us to begin our hunt for the perfect space!”

“I… Okay,” Tiffany nodded, deciding to just go with it.

The pair left Main Street and began exploring the town. There was a large abundance of apple trees, she noticed. There was plenty of open space to roam around, too. There were only a few houses, now that she took the chance to count them.

“There aren’t many residents,” she commented.

“Let’s say Chokewood fell on…hard times a few years back. We’re only just rebounding from it. I’m sure now that we have a new mayor, residents will start pouring in!” Tom predicted.

“Hard times, eh?” Tiffany repeated. “…Why was the name changed?”

“Huh? The name? Of what?” Tom looked completely lost now.

“The name of the town,” Tiffany clarified. “I met someone on the train who told me Ashwood was changed to Chokewood five years ago. Why was that?”

The Sentret man froze. “…Well…I’m afraid I cannot say. The previous mayor labeled the cause as taboo. We cannot speak of it. All I know is that the change in name was…necessary.”

“But I’m the mayor now. Can’t I change that? Undo the taboo?” Tiffany questioned.

“I doubt it. The amount of laws and such tied into that taboo likely make it very difficult, if not impossible, to remove,” Tom admitted. “Just…don’t worry about it so much. It’s truly nothing.”

“It was major enough to prompt the town’s name to change!” Tiffany argued.

“I… Uh…” Tom suddenly twirled away, amazed. “Ah, look at this space! The trees, the flowers… Why, you even have the pond right there! Smack at the center of everything, too! Not too far from the train station or the town hall, snuggled right between them. Doesn’t this look good?”

 _Was it that bad, whatever that incident was? I wonder what it was. Maybe Isabelle knows?_ Tiffany thought, frowning.

“I…guess so,” Tiffany looked around. “Well, it is really pretty. Yeah, I think this is the place.”

“Good! I’ll reserve it for you right now! Wouldn’t want someone else taking it, yes?” Tom laughed, setting up a perimeter of wooden poles and a RESERVED sign. “Including the cost of the land, materials, building costs, et cetera… Hmmm… You know what? I can’t calculate it properly here. I’ll give you the total later.”

“Sure. That works,” the Dedenne girl nodded. “Thank you so much!” _I hope I’m not in too much debt for this…_

“Drop by my store later to get the bill. I’m sure you’re very busy at the moment,” Tom guessed. “…Ah! I guess you still need a place to stay until we’ve built your house! Um… I think I have a tent, if that’s okay with you. You can borrow it until your house is built.”

“I’m good with a tent. It’ll be like camping,” Tiffany replied, smiling.

“Good! Give me a moment, would you?”

Tom left, returning a few minutes later with a tent. Tiffany helped to pitch it when the older man appeared to have trouble. In a short while, a bright yellow tent had been erected in Tiffany’s reserved space.

“Ta-dah!” Tom sang. “Tent sweet tent, I guess you could say. I even brought over an old mailbox I had in the shop. You can start receiving mail. Think of it as a free welcome-to-Chokewood-new-mayor gift. It’s not every day you see a tent with a mailbox, eh?”

“Yeah,” Tiffany giggled. “Thank you, Mr. Nook!”

“You’re welcome, Mayor Tiffany,” Tom replied with a smile. “Well, I’d best return to my shop. Hope to see you soon. Don’t forget to pick up your bill!”

“I won’t,” Tiffany promised, waving goodbye as the Sentret man walked away. She looked at the tent. _Well, it’s not what I expected to happen on my first day in Ashwood… Er, I mean Chokewood. Things could be worse, though._

She sighed in relief. Pulling out her map, she was surprised to notice there was a house-shaped symbol where there hadn’t been one before.

 _Is that where I live? Mr. Nook said it was between the station and town hall. I guess I did pick a good space, after all,_ she thought. _…Speaking of town hall, I better tell Isabelle I have a house now!_

She ran southeast, the town hall quickly coming into view. Running around it until she reached the front doors, she headed inside. Isabelle was scribbling away at papers and jumped when Tiffany came in.

“Oh! Mayor Tiffany! Did you get a house?” she asked.

“Yep!” the Dedenne girl nodded. _Well, technically, it’s a tent…but same thing!_

The Lillipup girl sighed in relief, slumping back in her chair. “Thank goodness. Now we can progress on this pesky paperwork.”

She shuffled the papers around quickly.

“I’ve finished as much of this as I possibly could for you, but I still need one more thing from you,” Isabelle explained. “When is your birthday?”

“My birthday?” Tiffany repeated. “It’s…November 2nd.”

“Okay! Good!” Isabelle jotted it down. “And…ta-dah! Your Town Pass Card is completed!”

“Town Pass Card?” Tiffany accepted the laminated card, looking it over.

“It’s like an ID card that proves you live in Chokewood. We call it the TPC for short,” Isabelle explained. “As long as you have it on you, you can visit other towns nearby. Who knows? Maybe you’ll tempt people from other towns to move to Chokewood.”

“Oh, I get it,” Tiffany nodded, stowing the card away in her pocket. _I better not lose this. That’d be bad._

“That’s everything we need to do in order to process your move,” Isabelle declared. “The last thing to do is have you participate in a ceremony to commemorate your arrival. Will you do that for us, Mayor Tiffany?”

 _Should I? I’m not really their mayor…but…what else could I possibly do?_ Tiffany sighed. “…Why not? Sounds like fun!”

“Perfect! Everyone else should be waiting in the event plaza. We hold special events there every now and then. We’d like for you to plant a tree in the square so it can become a great symbol for our town,” Isabelle explained.

“Plant a tree? I guess I can do that,” the Dedenne girl shrugged.

“Good! I’ll lead the way, so follow me!” Isabelle urged, abandoning her place behind the desk and guiding Tiffany out of the town hall.

.o.o.o.o.

The event plaza wasn’t very big. It was just a clearing with a raised square of ground at the center. Standing in the plaza were seven people, including the trio who had greeted Tiffany at the train station.

One was a young boy with gray hair and dark eyes. He had a pair of large gray bunny ears atop his head, the tips becoming brown. He had a ragged brown scarf around his neck and wore a gray shirt and pants. There was brown on the back and ends of his pants. A tiny bunny tail stuck out behind him. It was a Bunnelby.

The other was a tall woman with long black hair and red eyes. Atop her head were two snapping, toothy sets of jaws. She wore a yellow shirt with poufy sleeves that became red at the ends. Her pants were the same shade of red and flared out over her feet. It was a Mawile, only she was Mega Evolved.

The other two were—Tiffany could only assume—Isabelle’s father and brother.

Her brother, a Herdier boy, was tall with short but scruffy brown hair. He also had some cream-colored hair that formed a three-pointed crest above his forehead. He had a short cream-colored mustache too. He wore a black jacket over a light brown sweater and pants. There was a short black dog tail poking out from behind him. His eyes were dark, like his sister’s, and he looked slightly bored.

Her father, a Stoutland man, was a smidge shorter than his son and looked even older than Tom Nook. Lines were evident on his face and his shoulders were slightly hunched, as if to take the weight off of his back from standing up straight. He had a rounded belly, not quite a potbelly but almost. His hair was styled similarly to his son’s, mostly brown but with a bigger and scruffier-looking cream-colored three-pointed crest above his forehead. He had a long, flowing cream-colored mustache that trailed to his waist and turned nearly white at the ends. He also had a scruffy brown beard peaking out beneath the mustache. He wore a dark blue sweater over his pudgy frame, brown zigzag stripes going across it, and grayish blue pants. A short black dog tail stuck out from behind him.

Tiffany and Isabelle stood atop the raised square. It was brick with dirt at the center. There was a deep hole in the dirt. Isabelle held a sapling in her hands.

The Lillipup girl looked awfully nervous. “So…p-please take this s-sapling!”

Tiffany reached out, carefully taking the baby tree from her secretary’s shaking hands.

“O-Okay, Tiffany. Now p-plant it in th-that hole there. P-Put your heart into it, o-okay?” Isabelle instructed, struggling not to stutter too badly.

 _Is her family that judgmental? Or is it just her brother?_ Tiffany wondered, eyeing the Herdier boy cautiously. _He doesn’t look like the mean type…but still…better make this good, if only for Isabelle’s sake!_

The Dedenne girl kneeled down, gently easing the sapling’s roots into the hole in the ground. She pressed dirt in around it, smoothing out the area until it looked like the sapling had grown there naturally. Smiling victoriously, she stood up and brushed her skirt off.

Everybody was clapping as she rose. Isabelle flashed her a smile as well, clearly pleased. Tiffany smiled back, cheeks warm from joy.

“Mayor Tiffany! Congratulations!” Isabelle declared. “I hope this tree grows just as strong and lively as Chokewood! We’re all looking forward to the changes you have in store for this lovely town of ours!”

 _This lovely town…that had its name changed due to a taboo event five years ago,_ Tiffany thought. _What could that event have been? Just what happened back then to make it taboo?_

“Well, now that the tree is planted, you have the rest of the day to rest and relax. We can get to work on making Chokewood a better place tomorrow, yeah?” Isabelle commented. “I’ll be at the town hall, attending to other things, in case you happen to need some advice or don’t know what to do. Do what you like today. Maybe greet your new neighbors. I’m sure everyone will be delighted to talk to you.”

“Sure,” Tiffany nodded. _I don’t think I’ll be getting out of this mayor thing anytime soon. Maybe I can use that to my advantage and find out what happened to the Ashwood my mom knew to make it into the Chokewood that I see today._

Everyone quickly dispersed, leaving the Dedenne girl alone in the plaza. She sighed before looking at the sapling she had planted.

 _Well, I guess I have to start somewhere. I’m not going to find the answers to all of these questions by myself. I better see who all is in this town,_ Tiffany decided.

She headed off into Chokewood, leaving the event plaza—and the sapling—far behind her.

.o.o.o.o.

“…”

Someone looked down upon Chokewood from the nearby mountain.

“…So, there’s a new mayor in town?”

A frown was on its face. It looked troubled.

“…That’s interesting.”

Its shoulders shrugged, not caring too much.

“…I wonder how long she’ll last.”

A grin suddenly crossed the creature’s face, a thick tongue swiping across its lips.

“…I wonder…what she tastes like…”

Laughter erupted from the tiny cabin. It was lost long before it hit Chokewood, leaving its residents none the wiser.

.o.o.o.o.

“Awww! Are my pockets full already?”

Tiffany shifted through her enlarged pockets, stuffed to the brim with apples. They were so plentiful on the trees that she couldn’t help but pick some. They would certainly make for a good meal or snack for the day.

Among the apples were various seashells. Chokewood had a wonderful shoreline and a beautiful view of the sea along its southwestern edge. The Dedenne girl had ventured down the slope to play in the shallows on the beach, collecting various seashells along the way.

She sighed, straightening up and watching the sun begin to set. “What a strange day it’s been. Ashwood has changed to Chokewood, I’ve apparently become mayor, and there’s some taboo event that occurred five years ago. So many questions…”

“You’re Tiffany, aren’t you? Well, of course you are. There are no other Dedenne in Chokewood, after all. Silly me.”

Tiffany jumped, whirling around in surprise. It was the Mega Mawile from the plaza. The older woman gave a small smile, red eyes zeroing in on the mayor’s face.

“I believe we were not introduced. I’m Cora, a senior resident of Chokewood,” she said.

“Senior resident?” Tiffany repeated. _She doesn’t look that old…_

Cora gave a small laugh. “I mean to say that I’ve been in Chokewood for longer than most of the other residents. The only ones that have been here longer are the shopkeepers up on Main Street and that old dog, Bob.”

“Old dog?”

“The Stoutland,” Cora answered.

 _Isabelle’s dad,_ Tiffany realized. “Oh... Nice to meet you, Cora.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” Cora chuckled, moving to stand beside the shorter girl. She watched the sun begin to set. “What a lovely view, isn’t it? It’s too bad you’re a girl. I would’ve preferred a man to be our mayor…but I guess beggars can’t be choosers. We got what we got. I’ll just have to deal with it.” She gave a dramatic sigh.

 _Was she hoping to…date the mayor?_ Tiffany wondered, cheeks heating up in embarrassment. _What if the real mayor was supposed to be a guy? But…Isabelle said they got a letter from the mayor. I wonder who wrote that letter. Mom? Or someone else?_

Cora looked over at the Dedenne girl. “You’re sure quiet. Something on your mind?”

“Oh! Um… Actually, yes,” Tiffany nodded, twisting her skirt between her fingers. “On the way here, I was told Chokewood was formerly named Ashwood but nobody seems to know why the name change happened. Would you…happen to know why?”

Cora smirked. “Ah, I was wondering when you’d pop that question. Sadly, my lips are sealed. The subject of the name change was deemed taboo by our former mayor. If you really want details, though, I suggest pressing your secretary for info. Her older brother was the previous mayor’s secretary, so I’m sure some information got leaked to her by mistake.”

“But…won’t she not tell me because of the taboo?” Tiffany questioned, suddenly edgy.

“…You really haven’t noticed, have you?” Cora’s head tilted back as she laughed. “That Isabelle girl is already crazy for you. Taboo or no, I bet she’d tell you anything at all if it meant proving she can be the best secretary possible for you. Such a people pleaser, that girl…”

“Isn’t that taking advantage of her, though? That’d be wrong to do,” Tiffany shakily argued.

“Depends on your definition of wrong,” Cora pointed out, turning away. “I’ll give you one tidbit, though. Even though the town name was changed five years ago, the event that caused it was happening for just over a decade beforehand.”

“A…decade?” Tiffany looked shocked. _That taboo event…went on for over ten years?_

Cora turned, heading back up the slope. “Well, that’s all I can really say without causing trouble for myself. Just keep that tidbit to yourself, okay? Good luck with being the mayor and all. We’ve all got high hopes for you.”

And like that, the Mega Mawile was gone, vanishing from the beach and returning to Chokewood’s residential area.

The Dedenne watched the spot where Cora had stood long after the other woman had disappeared from sight. That new information zipped around in her brain, sparking dozens of new questions.

Questions she had no answers for…

A sharp whistle caught her attention. Looking around briefly, she paused before chalking it up to the wind. Then she saw a shadow slowly crossing the beach.

 _A bird?_ She wondered, looking straight up.

It was a wrapped present tied to a balloon. It was drifting along slowly by the wind, heading over the slope and toward the sea. A few minutes passed before it vanished into the distance.

 _A flying present? It was too high up to get it. Just what could it have been?_ Tiffany wondered. _I’ve never seen anything like that before. Chokewood sure is full of strange sights…_

A cold breeze made her shiver, ears folding back against her skull and tail puffing up in defense. Shaking herself, Tiffany turned and headed up the slope to Chokewood. The safety of the trees kept anymore cold breezes from reaching her, allowing her to safely trek back to her tent. Scurrying inside, she was surprised to find it completely empty.

 _I guess Tom Nook forgot to bring a sleeping bag. Or maybe he just didn’t have one. I guess I’ll have to make do with sleeping on the floor,_ Tiffany thought.

“Um, Mayor Tiffany? Are you in there?”

 _Isabelle?_ The Dedenne looked back at the entrance flaps. “I’m here!”

“Pardon the intrusion, mayor!” Isabelle stepped inside the tent, looking around. “Oh! This reminds me of all the camping I used to do with my dad when I was a kid! We’d have fun and roast marshmallows and cook popcorn over the fire. We’d always burn the popcorn a bit, but that just made it extra delicious. So exciting!”

“Yeah, I know,” Tiffany nodded.

“…Oh! I’m sorry! I got carried away again!” Isabelle yelped, ashamed of her sudden camping rant. “I thought I’d bring you something since you just moved in and probably don’t have much yet.”

The Lillipup girl held out a lantern, lighting up the inside of the tent.

“I found it in the storage closet at the town hall. I thought it’d be a perfect gift since you’re staying in a tent currently. I hope you don’t mind,” Isabelle said. “It’s a bit old but it still works, surprisingly enough!”

“Thank you very much. Now I have some light to see by now that night’s falling,” Tiffany smiled, taking the lantern and setting it down in a corner.

“You’re welcome!” Isabelle grinned, pleased. “Sorry to have barged in on you like this. I’ll just be going now. See you tomorrow…or whenever… Bye!”

“Bye!” the Dedenne girl wished.

Isabelle backed out of the tent before dashing away into the trees.

 _She’s a bit…strange,_ Tiffany thought, zipping the entrance flaps closed.

Cora’s words came back to her suddenly.

_“…You really haven’t noticed, have you? That Isabelle girl is already crazy for you. Taboo or no, I bet she’d tell you anything at all if it meant proving she can be the best secretary possible for you. Such a people pleaser, that girl…”_

The Dedenne girl shook her head. _Isabelle doesn’t seem like that to me. She’s just helping me settle in, that’s all. She’s just doing her job. That doesn’t make her ‘crazy for me’._

Moving the lantern to an opposing corner of her tent, Tiffany settled down on the floor to sleep.

 _At least the ground is smooth and soft. Not rocky, like I expected,_ she thought in relief.

It wasn’t long before Tiffany fell fast asleep…


	2. Day 2, June 9th

“Yawn! Hmmm… That wasn’t so bad,” Tiffany muttered, sleepily rubbing her eyes as she sat up. “Though I feel stiff now. I better get myself a bed as soon as I can find somewhere that sells that kind of stuff. Maybe up on Main Street? There was a shop there, after all.”

Stretching to force away the stiffness from sleeping on the floor, the Dedenne girl changed out of her pale yellow nightgown and into the clothes she had worn the day before.

 _Better find a clothing shop too. Some new clothes would be nice,_ Tiffany thought.

Unzipping the tent entrance, she stepped out of the flaps…and nearly keeled over in shock. Outside of her tent, right beside her mailbox, stood a strange man. He was in the process of dropping mail into her mailbox, abruptly stiffening up when he saw her.

He was tall with messy, short white hair hidden beneath a white cap with a thick blue stripe running over it and dark eyes. He wore a loose white unzipped sweatshirt over a deep yellow shirt and blue jeans. He was wearing blue gloves. A yellow mail bag was slung over one shoulder.

“…Hi?” Tiffany squeaked.

“Hi,” the man greeted after a moment, looking guilty. “Sorry for the scare. I thought you were asleep, so I thought I’d just put your mail in your box quietly and skedaddle. I guess that didn’t work.”

“It’s okay. You didn’t wake me. I didn’t even hear you out here,” Tiffany admitted. _That’s a…Pelipper…isn’t it?_

“So…you’re the new mayor, right? Tiffany, I think I heard you being called. I’m Pete, mailman of Chokewood,” the Pelipper man explained, holding out a hand. “Again, I’m sorry for the scare.”

“It’s okay,” Tiffany reassured. “And yes, I’m Tiffany…the mayor…”

“Good. Nice to know I found the right place. Not that there are any other tents here yet, but you never know,” Pete chuckled, smiling. “So yeah, I saw you had mail and decided to pop on over and deliver it.”

“Oh, really? That was fast. I only just got here yesterday,” Tiffany admitted, opening the mailbox. Inside laid two letters. “Thank you very much!”

Pete gave a playful salute. “No problem. Just remember to collect your mail every now and then. If that box gets full, I can’t cram anymore letters in there for you.”

“I’ll be sure to do that,” Tiffany promised.

The Pelipper man smiled. “That’s good to hear. Well, I got more mail to deliver. Be seeing you later, most likely!”

“Thank you very much!” Tiffany exclaimed.

Pete headed through the trees, disappearing into Chokewood. Tiffany plucked up the letters, ripping open the top of the first one. Her eyes scanned it quickly.

Dear Mayor Tiffany,

I’m so sorry for my ever-present flakiness. You no doubt have no idea what your work as mayor may entail. I can explain it to you. When you find time, please come to the town hall and sit in the chair at the back.

Sincerely, Your Secretary, Isabelle

 _Yeah, that might be helpful. I don’t know the first thing about work as a mayor,_ Tiffany admitted, ears falling back in despair.

Then she read the other letter and her ears shot right back up.

Dear Tiffany,

I apologize for how short notice and how shocking this is. You do not know me, but I know you.

You see, I was supposed to become mayor of Chokewood today. One thing led to another and, if you haven’t already heard, talk of a taboo event occurring five years prior to now made me a bit too nervous to accept the position. I couldn’t just leave Chokewood hanging, though. I promised to help them. Of course, since I’d only exchanged letters with Chokewood, nobody knew who I was just yet.

That’s where you came in.

I found out that you were moving to Chokewood on the same day that I was supposed to be announced as mayor. As much as it pains me to admit to it, I saw you as my opportunity to get out of a sticky situation. I wrote Isabelle a letter informing her of ‘my’ arrival…only I listed you instead of me.

My sincerest apologies, Tiffany. You’re a youngster, fit and bright and ready for anything. Surely you have what it takes to be mayor of Chokewood in my place. I know I can count on you. Good luck with being mayor!

From unknown sender

P.S. Keep this a secret, just between us! Okay?

The letter crumpled under the girl’s grip. She felt rage and frustration and misery crash down on her. _You’re sorry? You just made me accept a position that I don’t even understand! I’ve only just moved here! What makes you think I can deal with this if you can’t?_

She wanted to rip the letter up. Tear it apart and fling the pieces to the wind…but that’d be littering. Littering was wrong. Instead, she neatly folded the letter and returned it to its envelope. Going back into the tent, she dropped both letters on the floor before leaving again.

 _You didn’t even tell me who you were…or how you knew me,_ Tiffany lamented.

.o.o.o.o.

“EEK!”

Tiffany slammed the door behind her as she raced into the house, gasping for breath. The black hair had rose up like whiskers again. She struggled to breathe, trying to catch her breath from wildly running away only moments earlier.

The Sawsbuck woman looked at her in the doorway, surprised. “Are you all right, dear?”

Tiffany shakily nodded. “Bees… I hate bees…” she whimpered, sliding to the floor.

“Oh!” The Sawsbuck hid a giggle behind her hand. “So, our mayor is a tree shaker. How interesting.”

“Sorry to have barged in. I couldn’t lose them,” the Dedenne girl apologized.

“At least you didn’t get stung,” the Sawsbuck pointed out. “What an impromptu way of coming to say hello, mayor.”

“Huh?”

Tiffany looked up to see a brilliant and bright room around her. It wasn’t very big but the carpet looked like green grass with pink flowers on it. There was a fancy white bench resting against one wall under a window, along with a similar metallic table and three chairs. Beautiful flowering plants rested on the windowsills and on the kitchen counter, each one overflowing with sweet-smelling flowers. It was like a forested park inside of a room.

“I don’t believe I introduced myself to you, mayor. My name is Sheila,” the Sawsbuck explained, smiling warmly at her. “Do you like my house?”

“It’s beautiful,” Tiffany whispered, getting to her feet.

“Thank you very much, mayor. I’m sure yours will be equally beautiful when Tom Nook is done building it for you,” Sheila said. “Are you enjoying yourself here?”

“Huh? Oh, yes! It’s very pretty, especially the beach,” Tiffany admitted. “I’ve always wanted to live by the sea…”

“I’m glad you like it here so much, mayor. I have a feeling good things will happen to this town now that you’re here,” Sheila predicted, looking out the window. “Maybe our little town will prosper and get bigger. I’d love to have more neighbors. There are so few people in Chokewood now.”

“…Sheila… Can I ask you something?”

“Yes, of course. What is it?”

“…What do you know about Ashwood? Why is it Chokewood now?” Tiffany nervously asked.

“…I wish I could say, dear. It was truly a tragedy, what happened to cause that,” Sheila said softly, turning away. There was a hand over her heart and her eyes looked watery. “I had…moved here not long before that happened. I nearly left after it, too. If it wasn’t for Bob, I don’t think Chokewood would have anymore residents left. He pleaded with us to stay…so we did.”

 _Isabelle’s dad was involved in that?_ Tiffany thought, surprised. “…So, you can’t tell me anything either?”

“It’s best simply to forget what happened in the past, dear. Ashwood…is gone now. I doubt it’ll ever come back, not after that,” Sheila admitted. “All we have now is Chokewood. As long as we can put the past behind us, all should be well again.”

“…But why change the name? Just what happened back then?” Tiffany asked.

“…It’s best not to ask. Young ones like you are better off living happy and carefree, blind to the awful things we adults must experience,” Sheila muttered. “Mayor, for your own good, please do not pursue the past. You will only bring misery upon yourself…and I truly do not wish to see your smile tainted by the burden we of Chokewood bear.”

“…I understand. I’m sorry if I brought up something bad for you,” Tiffany apologized, head hung. _I guess I have to figure this out myself…_

“It’s all right, dear. Curiosity is a greedy thing,” Sheila giggled, smiling.

Her smile somehow seemed…broken now, compared to earlier. Like she couldn’t do it properly anymore. Like such an action was…difficult to perform.

“Actually, I have something else to ask. Since I’ll be getting my house soon, I wanted to know if there was a place to get stuff, like clothes or a bed, from,” Tiffany explained. “Since I’m new, I’m not sure where to go. I’d have to guess up on Main Street, but I want to be sure of where I’m going before I start looking around.”

“Ah, yes! That would be good to know, wouldn’t it?” Sheila hid a cheerful laugh. “If you want something new for your house, I’d head for Nookling Junction. As for clothes, you’ll want the Able Sisters. They’re up on Main Street and should be easy to find. The inventory of the shops usually changes daily, so I’d suggest checking them out fairly often for new things to get.”

“Oh! Thank you so much! I’ll be sure to look for them right away!” Tiffany declared.

Saying her goodbyes, the Dedenne girl left Sheila’s house and headed off to explore more. Thankfully, it appeared that the bees she had disturbed earlier had lost interest in her and left. She was safe to wander around now.

She soon came across another house. This one, unlike the immaculate white and pink of Sheila’s house, was painted brilliant shades of red, black, and yellow. She nervously knocked, a little frightened by the gothic appearance of it.

“Come in!” a familiar voice called.

Opening the door, Tiffany indeed confirmed the owner of the house—Cora. The woman was lying on a couch, a book in her hands. The room was dark and held furniture made of dark wood and fabric in the same shades as her house was painted. Strange markings decorated the throw blanket covering the Mega Mawile and paintings depicting gruesome scenes hung from the walls. There was a well-cared for Venus flytrap resting on the couch-side table.

 _What a frightening place to live,_ Tiffany thought, trembling. _This place is enough to cause nightmares! How can she stand living here?_

“Enjoy my abode?” Cora asked, lowering the book and flashing a smile at her. “Not up to your taste, I assume? Good, I strive to be different from everyone else in Chokewood. I apologize if it frightens you.”

“I-It’s okay,” the Dedenne girl squeaked, tail puffing up.

“There’s been much talk since you’ve arrived, mayor. You haven’t even done anything yet but your presence alone is having a lovely effect on our little town of Chokewood,” Cora commented, rising from the couch.

“Really? I didn’t notice,” Tiffany admitted.

“You haven’t? I’m not surprised,” Cora chuckled.

Tiffany couldn’t tell if the older woman was teasing her or insulting her. She didn’t dare ask for clarification. Cora frightened her, honestly.

“Tell me, do you have any way of making money here, mayor?” Cora suddenly asked. “Surely you can’t pay Tom Nook’s bill if you have no income.”

“Well…I was going to look for a job,” Tiffany explained nervously.

Cora looked appalled. “A job? Aren’t you mayor? My, my, I cannot just stand by and watch such a thing occur!” she declared, hands dropping onto the Dedenne’s girl’s shoulders. “If you haven’t already heard, there’s a place here called the recycle shop. It’s a shop where you can recycle things for money. A quick way to make some cash is by bringing fruit, such as the apples that grow plentiful here in Chokewood, to the recycle shop. The shop owner will pay you well for them if you sell. You can also sell them the shells you find on the beach.”

“Really?” Tiffany looked amazed. She recalled all the seashells she’d seen on the beach. _Maybe it won’t be so hard to make a living here after all!_

“Really,” Cora nodded, withdrawing her hands and stepping back from the younger girl. “Also, though many would say not to, I’d suggest tree shaking. Sometimes Kirk drops money as he’s flying around in the treetops. He never notices that it’s missing and I’m sure you could use the cash more.”

“I… Thank you so much for the advice,” Tiffany said, smiling.

“Of course. We neighbors have to help each other out, after all. How can we be a proper community if we don’t?” Cora smirked. “Now run along, mayor. I’m sure you have things to do.”

Tiffany left her house as instructed. The first thing she did was shake a nearby tree. Instead of apples falling out—or a beehive—a golden coin fell from the branches. The Dedenne girl scooped it up, smiling.

 _Yep, living here won’t be as hard as I thought,_ she decided.

.o.o.o.o.

“Yo, mayor! Over here!”

Tiffany yelped, shoving the coins she’d shaken from a nearby tree into her pocket. Whirling around, she noticed a gray-colored house nearby. Gliding around the nearby pond was none other than the Gliscor boy from before, black cloak extended to catch the wind.

“You’re…Kirk, right?” Tiffany asked when he reached her, landing right beside her. _That black cloak behind him… It helps him fly?_

“Yep! That’s me!” the boy grinned, displaying razor-sharp teeth.

Tiffany resisted the urge to run away. _Predator_ shot through her mind at a thousand miles a second. She was scared…but she hid it well. She didn’t want to offend Kirk, after all. It wasn’t his fault he had sharp teeth.

“Hey, I know! Have you been to the Re-Tail Shop yet, mayor? It’s awesome in there!” Kirk gushed merrily. “I can sell them my furniture, clothes, fruit, and shells! They’ll buy just about anything from you if you’re willing to sell it to them!”

“I might just need to look for that place,” Tiffany said. “Thank you for telling me, Kirk.”

“You’re welcome, mayor! Anytime!” the Gliscor boy saluted, grinning. “So, liking it here in Chokewood? It may be small but we’ve got plenty of spirit!”

“I can tell,” Tiffany giggled. “Chokewood seems like a nice place. I’m glad to be here.”

“We’re glad to have you here. The old mayor was fun and all, but I like that we’ve got a fresh face here now,” Kirk admitted.

“What happened to the old mayor? You all keep mentioning him,” the Dedenne girl commented.

“Eh… I’m not sure,” Kirk shrugged, scratching his head with a pincer. “Darrel said he decided to resign and leave Chokewood. Nobody ever saw him leave, though. Not really sure what happened there.”

“Darrel?”

“Bob’s boy,” Kirk clarified. “The Herdier guy. Tall, frowns a lot, got a weird face…”

 _Isabelle’s brother,_ Tiffany realized. “Oh, okay. I was just curious.”

“No worries. Ask away! After all, you’re new. We shouldn’t expect you to know everything off the bat,” Kirk laughed. “Just ask and we’ll help as best we can. That’s what we’re here for!”

 _‘As best we can’… I better not mention that taboo event, if Sheila’s reaction was anything to gauge by. I don’t want to cause any trouble,_ Tiffany decided. “So, what all is there to do around here?”

“Oh, lots of things! Of course, you need some tools to do certain things, but no worries! They’re easy to get a hold of!” Kirk explained with a sharp-toothed grin. “First off, you can catch bugs with a net! You can also fish for…well, fish. You can also dig up weird patches of cracked ground with a shovel. Sometimes you’ll find weird stuff in those places! Any of those things that you get with those tools, you can sell over at the recycle shop.”

Tiffany smiled. “Got it. Thank you very much, Kirk!”

“No problem, mayor! Anytime!” the Gliscor boy nodded. “Oh yeah! You can get those tools over at Nookling Junction!”

“Thank you! I’ll look for those!” Tiffany promised, dashing away into the trees. _I better go shopping soon…but I better see what Isabelle has to say first!_

.o.o.o.o.

“Oh! Mayor Tiffany! Hello! Have a good rest last night?” Isabelle asked, looking up from her desk.

“Well, it wasn’t awful, but I think I’ll start hunting for a bed,” Tiffany admitted. “You sent me a letter about my duties as mayor?”

“Oh, yes! I remembered late last night. Sorry about that!” the Lillipup girl apologized, head lowered. “Anyhow, come on back!”

The section of counter separating the town hall in two was pulled up and over the edge of Isabelle’s desk, allowing Tiffany to head past the Lillipup girl’s desk and access the office beyond. There was a big desk with photos and awards and such decorating the shelves behind it. The Dedenne girl plopped down in the cushy black leather swivel chair.

“Ooh! This feels good!” she purred, spinning in it.

“I’m sure it does,” Isabelle giggled. “But act professional right now, okay? I need you to listen.”

“Awwww! Okay…” Tiffany ceased her spinning and sat up properly, ears perked and ready to listen.

“First off, are you all done unpacking and such from your move?”

“…I guess, yes. I don’t have much, actually. Just some clothes and personal items in a suitcase,” Tiffany said.

“Lucky! It feels like my family moved here forever ago, but I still have unpacked cardboard boxes in my room,” Isabelle admitted. “Oh! Don’t tell my big brother! I don’t let anyone in my room for exactly that reason!”

“I’m not telling anyone. If you need help unpacking, I could help,” the Dedenne girl offered.

“Oh! Really? I think I’d like that,” Isabelle smiled. “But back to business! You know the desk where I usually sit? That’s the service counter, the hub for all info about Chokewood! I not only give advice but I provide other services when I’m at my post here in the town hall. Of course, you’ll need to stand at counter to get advice from me, just like everyone else. I can’t bend the rules just because you’re the mayor, after all!”

“That’s understandable,” Tiffany agreed.

“Good!” Isabelle nodded, smiling proudly. “Now then, onto your duties at mayo—”

The Lillipup girl froze, eyes wide in shock.

 _Uh oh… Now what?_ Tiffany thought, bracing herself.

“Oh no! I completely forgot!” Isabelle wailed loudly, clipboard dropping to the floor as she tugged her ears. “In order to do anything developmental-wise in Chokewood, you’ll need a town-development permit!”

“Is that hard to get?” Tiffany asked, concerned.

“Well, it takes a bit of work…” Isabelle admitted. “But I’ll do all I can to help you get it! That’s what I’m here for!”

“That’s good,” Tiffany sighed in relief.

The Lillipup girl smiled. “I love that can-do attitude of yours, Mayor Tiffany! On that note, I’ll help you out with any official mayoral business. Just plop down in your chair and we’ll get right to work! Once you’re not busy, we’ll get to work on that town-development permit.”

“Got it. I’ll drop back in later to help work on that,” the Dedenne girl promised, hopping out of the mayor’s chair. “I think I’ll go shopping.”

“Good luck with that! Hope you find a comfy bed!” Isabelle wished.

“Thanks!”

Leaving the town hall, Tiffany headed west and crossed a bridge before going north. She paused briefly when she saw a fenced-in area with a sign stuck into the ground. Heading over, she read it.

“This spot reserved for Amy’s new home, Nook’s Homes,” Tiffany read aloud. “A new resident? Amy… I wonder what she’s like?”

Heading further north, she soon found herself near the train station. Close by was another building with a billboard beside it listing advertisements and such. The door was yellow with a circle-shaped window in it. The light was on and the sign on the knob said OPEN. Pulling the door open, she stepped inside.

The room was brightly lit with a dark wooden floor and yellow walls. Large items stood on podiums around the room. At the back was a shelf that had a few items on it. Standing nearby were two people, obviously talking business.

One was a tall woman with a long neck. Her long hair was yellow with a thick white blaze going from the top of her head to the long bangs framing her face. Two horns with bulbous tips stuck out from the top of her head. She wore a yellow shirt with black spots around the waist, black pants with yellow spots going down the sides of the legs, and a darker yellow apron around her front. Sticking out from behind her, with eyes and a toothy mouth of its own, was a short black tail.

The other was like a miniature version of Tom Nook. It was a young Sentret boy wearing a white shirt, a brown jacket, and brown pants. A striped tail swung behind him merrily while long rabbit-like ears flopped over his head slightly. There was a small blue apron around his waist.

“Thank you very much, Timmy. Thanks to you, we’ve been able to recycle and refurbish many things. If your customers keep bringing you items like that tape deck, feel free to bring them over,” the woman said.

“No, thank _you_ , Ms. Reese!” the Sentret boy, Timmy, corrected. “We wouldn’t know what to do with a tape deck. At least you’ll make sure it gets into the hands of someone who can use it properly.”

“That, I will. Tell Tommy I said hello, would you?” the woman, Reese, requested.

“I will! Bye!” Timmy turned and bolted for the door, nearly crashing into Tiffany. “Oh! I’m sorry! I didn’t see you there, miss!”

“My goodness! That could’ve been disastrous!” Reese gasped. “Are you both all right?”

“I’m fine,” Tiffany reassured.

“Me too,” Timmy nodded. “Sorry, miss. I should’ve watched where I was going.”

“It’s okay. I should’ve said something,” Tiffany admitted, looking away sheepishly.

“Well, you’re a face I don’t recognize,” Reese noticed. “Could you be…? My goodness, you must be! Mayor Tiffany?”

“Uh… Yes?” Tiffany squeaked.

“Oh! So you’re the girl my dad’s talking about!” Timmy realized. “I’m Timmy. My brother and I run a shop on Main Street called Nookling Junction. I hope we’ll see you there one day, miss mayor!”

 _He helps run Nookling Junction? But he’s a kid!_ Tiffany thought, shocked. _Wait! Nookling… Nook… Tom Nook’s son? He said his father was talking about me. They’re both Sentret. It must be him!_

“It was nice meeting you, miss mayor. Bye!” Timmy dashed out of the shop, this time keeping his eyes in front of him to avoid any more accidents.

“My goodness, that boy can be quite a troublemaker sometimes. I’m terribly sorry that almost happened, mayor,” Reese apologized. “Welcome to the recycle shop, Re-Tail. I’m excited to finally meet you. You’re younger than I expected.”

“You’re not the only one to say that,” Tiffany admitted. _That tail… She has to be a Girafarig._

“It’s not a bad thing. Youth is good,” Reese pointed out. “If you don’t yet know, our shop buys items and furniture to resell here. We’ll also pay extra for any high-value items listed on our billboard outside of the door. You can sell to us outright or set your own price and put the items on display for others to buy. If you happen to have something you no longer need, feel free to bring it in to make some money!”

“I’ll remember that. Mind if I look around?” Tiffany asked.

“Oh, of course! Feel free!” Reese nodded, stepping aside and gesturing to the items on display.

The Dedenne girl strolled around, looking at the display items. There was a bright yellow dressing closet covered in flowers, a blue plastic chair, a large potted plant, and…a bed.

Tiffany instantly zipped over to it. It was pretty big compared to her, but it was an average size. It had a wooden frame, white sheets, a pillow, and a red quilt.

“Interested in buying that, mayor?” Reese asked, coming over. “The asking price is 120 bells.”

From all the tree shaking she had done, she had 300 bells currently. _I really don’t want to sleep on the floor again,_ Tiffany decided.

“I’ll take it!” she declared.

“Wonderful! I’ll have it delivered to you immediately. When you get home, it’ll be like it was there all along!” Reese guaranteed, accepting the money given to her.

“Uh… I’ve heard that I can sell you fruit and stuff, too,” Tiffany added.

“Why, of course! I’ll buy just about anything!” Reese admitted. “What do you have for me, mayor?”

Tiffany handed over a few apples and bunch of shells she had collected earlier. “I’ve got some of these shells already, so why not sell the rest?” she said.

“Indeed,” the Girafarig woman agreed. “Let’s see… I can give you 600 bells for the whole lot. That sound good?”

“Good? That sounds amazing!” Tiffany cried.

“I’m glad I can please you, mayor,” Reese giggled, giving over the money.

Tiffany suddenly registered the sound of snoring. Looking over, she noticed another person sleeping hunched over a desk by the far wall. It looked like another Girafarig, only this one had shorter hair.

“Who’s that?”

“Oh, that’s my darling. He’s tired from working all night long. We’d best let him get some sleep, the poor thing,” Reese suggested.

“I understand. Thank you very much for the help, miss Reese!” Tiffany said.

“Of course. Anytime,” Reese nodded. “Come again soon, okay?”

“I will,” Tiffany promised, waving goodbye before heading out the door.

She looked around briefly before heading east. She paused by the railroad tracks, looking up the steps toward Main Street. _Maybe I should go see those people Sheila told me about. The Able Sisters, was it?_

“Well, nice seeing you again, mayor.”

Tiffany jumped, whipping around in terror. Her tail puffed and black hair rose up. Standing just behind her, jacket collar still blazing brightly, was the Typhlosion man from the previous day. He still looked intimidating, causing the Dedenne girl to back up a step. He noticed and cocked an eyebrow.

“Relax, would you? I’m not going to eat you, you know,” he said, frowning. “I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Blake.”

“T-Tiffany,” she squeaked, shaking. “N-Nice to m-meet you.”

“…Eh…” Blake rubbed the back of his head, annoyed. “Pretty stiff and formal, calling you ‘mayor’ all the time. I’ll just call you Tiff. That’s easier.”

“Uh…sure! Whatever you want,” Tiffany nodded quickly, not wanting to anger the blue-haired man.

“Geez, quit being to jittery. I’m not _that_ scary,” Blake snorted. “…Here!”

He shoved something wrapped in wrapping paper into her arms. Tiffany jumped, nearly dropping it in surprise. She quickly snatched it up, looking up at Blake in confusion and shock.

“Sheila kept telling me that I should make a good first impression or something. Said a gift would be good. I got this via mail order but I don’t care for it, so you can have it. Call it a housewarming present or whatever,” Blake huffed, looking away. “Besides, the colors fit you better than they do me, anyway.”

Tiffany forced herself to relax, looking down at the present. It felt soft and was rectangular in shape. Gently peeling back the paper, she held it out in front of her. The gift unfolded and revealed itself to be an argyle knit shirt. It was orange with stripes of white, black, and yellow on it.

“…Wow…”

“See? I’d look awful in that,” Blake smirked. “My house is down here if you want to try it on.”

“Sure!” Tiffany nodded, hugging the gift to her chest.

.o.o.o.o.

“So, you live down by the town hall? That’s a good spot. Now I know where you are, so I can drop by or something. Maybe send a letter,” Blake shrugged.

Tiffany smiled, nodding. She had changed out of her shirt and jacket, putting on the knit shirt Blake had given her. It was nice and warm, not at all itchy like she expected a knit shirt to be. It felt pretty comfortable.

“Thank you for the shirt. I actually have to go clothes shopping soon,” the Dedenne girl admitted.

“Go to the Able Sisters. They’ll set you up real good,” Blake suggested, looking up at the sky. “They can make anything you want. If you can dream it, they can make it.”

“Wow…” Tiffany smiled. “You’re not as scary as I thought you were.”

“Told you so,” Blake smirked.

“…I think I’ll go check out the Able Sisters,” Tiffany decided. “And the Nookling Junction and all that!”

“What are you waiting for then? Go for it,” Blake chuckled, waving her off. “See you around, Tiff.”

“Bye, Blake! Thanks!” Tiffany cried, waving goodbye as she headed north for the train tracks.

.o.o.o.o.

“10,000 bells?!”

Tiffany’s jaw dropped. Tom Nook wrung his hands nervously, nodding.

“That’s just the down payment, mayor. We’ll need that before any work can be done on your house,” the Sentret man explained.

“That’s a whole lot. Can I even earn that much quickly?” Tiffany muttered, twisting her skirt between her hands.

“Actually, yes. You’ll find that Chokewood is rich in crops and other resources. You should find it quite easy to earn that much in not very long at all!” Tom Nook reassured.

“Really?”

“I’m a very honest man, mayor. I would never lie to you,” Tom Nook vowed, hand on his heart. “You can collect fruit and seashells to sell at the recycling shop. If you can, buy a net or fishing rod once you have enough. The catches you can make with those can earn you quite a bit of cash, too.”

“I…guess that could work…” Tiffany admitted, ears lowered. _I guess I’m living in that tent for a while longer…_

“So, come and see me once you’ve got 10,000 bells saved up. Once that’s done, we’ll get your house built right away!” Tom Nook declared. “Good luck on your expedition to earn cash, mayor.”

“Thanks…”

Tiffany sighed before heading out the door. Going down the street, she saw the post office next door to Nook’s Homes. Further down the street were Nookling Junction and the Able Sisters. There was a massive building further down the street from them, but Tiffany hesitated to go that far just yet. Instead she headed into Nookling Junction.

She was greeted by another Sentret boy, this one looking a touch younger than the one she’d run into earlier at Re-Tail. “Ah, welcome! Come on in!” he encouraged.

“So, this is Nookling Junction?” Tiffany questioned.

“Is this the first time you’ve been in here?” the Sentret boy asked.

“Yes,” Tiffany nodded. “I think I met your brother already. Timmy, right?”

“That’s my brother,” he nodded. “I’m Tommy. Nice to meet you, miss…?”

“Tiffany.”

“Tiffany? As in, Mayor Tiffany? Oh my goodness, it’s you!” Tommy squealed in joy. “Welcome to our establishment, mayor! I hope you will treat my brother and me kindly.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Tiffany asked.

Tommy seemed to ignore her question. “Our store sells a variety of furniture and useful goods for daily living. This is a rather teeny shop, but please relax and enjoy shopping. Take your time!”

“I will,” the Dedenne girl promised, smiling.

It was indeed a small shop, having two wooden tables in it covered in goods. One had a few shovels and nets on it. The other had some bejeweled paper, a roll of colored paper covered in designs, and a pile of fortune cookies on a plate. She looked over the fortune cookies, interested.

“That would be a unique product from our shop,” Tommy explained, scurrying over to her. “When you eat it, a lucky ticket will be inside. Sometimes you’ll win! If you bring back the ticket, we’ll trade it for a rare, not-sold-anywhere-else item! They’re only a modest 2 bells each, if you’re interested.”

“That’s pretty cheap,” Tiffany admitted. “I’ll take one.”

Tommy bagged the cookie and handed it to her, accepting the money. “Don’t forget to bring back the ticket for a special prize!”

“I won’t,” Tiffany looked around. _Is there anything else in here I should get?_

She ended up parting with 160 bells to get a set of four pieces of bejeweled paper. She eyed the net and shovel briefly, deciding to bring at least 1,000 bells with her next time in order to purchase them both. She left the shop with her plan of action for next time in mind.

Night had begun to fall by then, cutting short her plans to check out the Able Sisters. _There’s always tomorrow,_ she decided, stifling a yawn. _I better go home and get to bed. It’s been a long day._

She trekked home quickly, ducking under the flap of her tent as she headed inside. The Dedenne girl paused briefly when she noticed something. There was a bed in her tent.

_Oh yeah… No more sleeping on the floor for me!_

Tiffany changed into her nightgown and crawled into bed, falling asleep instantly.

.o.o.o.o.

“Oi! Wake up!”

“Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!”

“Hey! Stop that! Leave Mayor Tiffany alone, you two!”

“Hmmm?” Tiffany groaned, eyes fluttering open. _What? Who’s making all the noise?_

Sitting up in bed, she looked over to the tent entrance. There were three shadows there. Two were small and seemed to be clawing away at the zipper, trying to open the flaps. The third shadow was bigger and seemed to be trying to drag the other two away.

“Stop that right now! Our mayor is trying to sleep!”

 _Isabelle? Ugh… What time is it?_ Tiffany looked around before recalling she had no clock. _It must be the middle of the night or something. What’s going on out there?_

Just as the sleepy Dedenne girl climbed out of the, the tent flaps unzipped and two kids tumbled inside. One was a young girl with blue hair and round mouse ears atop her head. The other was a boy with messy brown hair, buck teeth, and chubby cheeks. Isabelle scrambled in after them, seizing them by the collars of their shirts.

“Mayor Tiffany, I’m so sorry! I warned Porter not to let these two into Chokewood but they got away from him!” Isabelle babbled, teary-eyed.

“Let go of me!” the girl cried, struggling to escape.

“Yeah! Get off!” the boy yelped, trying to squirm away.

Isabelle yanked the pair to their feet, glowering at them. “Do you know what time it is? Our mayor is trying to sleep! Stop coming to harass us at this time of night!”

“We’re just dropping by for some fun!” the boy whined.

“Not like anyone else comes by your dumb town, anyway!” the girl declared.

Isabelle gasped. “Take that back! Our mayor will bring change to Chokewood! You’ll see!”

“I doubt it!” the girl countered, glaring at Tiffany. “Hey, Martin! Look at that! She’s barely bigger than us! You made a kid your mayor? You could’ve elected us or something, you know that?”

“Yeah! That’s not fair! A mayor’s supposed to be a grown-up, not a kid!” the boy, Martin, agreed.

“I’ll have you know that our mayor has all of the qualifications to be our mayor. And she’s not a child! She’s a fine young woman who will bring good things to this town of ours!” Isabelle barked, releasing their collars and pinching their ears instead.

“Isabelle, who are these two?” Tiffany asked, rubbing her eyes tiredly. “Isn’t the train station closed at this time of night?”

“The train station is open 24/7, Mayor Tiffany,” Isabelle corrected. “As for these two, they’re frequent troublemaking visitors from neighboring towns. The Marill is Laura from Orchid and the Bidoof is Martin from Springdale. I’ve been trying to crack down on their activities but they’ve refused to stop visiting. Even Porter can’t keep them contained!”

“Porter?”

“The supervisor of the train station,” Isabelle explained.

 _Oh! The Aipom from when I first arrived,_ Tiffany realized. Straightening up, she rested her hands on her hips. “So, I’m guessing they came here to cause more trouble?”

“We just came to see who’d become mayor of this dumpy place!” Martin cried.

“Looks like it’s just some poor sucker from out of town,” Laura snickered. “Better get out while you can or the monster’s gonna get you!”

“Monster?” Tiffany asked, surprised.

“That’s enough! I don’t want any more talk of monsters!” Isabelle snarled, tugging harder on their ears and earned pained shrieks in return. “You two are going back on the first train to Orchid and Springdale! Do you hear me?”

“No, we aren’t! Martin!” Laura shouted.

“You two aren’t going anywhe—YAAAAH!!”

Isabelle leaped backward, clutching her foot. The Bidoof boy had stomped on it hard, causing her to release them. The two kids turned, shoving the Lillipup girl back and fleeing from the tent into the surrounding trees. Tiffany shot forward, pulling Isabelle up off the ground. She was yelping in pain, tears in her eyes, clutching her foot between her hands.

“Isabelle!” Tiffany yelped. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine! It just…really, really hurts!” Isabelle hissed, eyes squeezing shut. “Mayor, please, you have to find those two. They’ll cause more property damage with all their digging! Thieves, both of them! Rotten little destructive thieves!”

“I… Okay! I’ll find them!” Tiffany promised, getting to her feet. “Can you get back to the town hall by yourself?”

“I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me,” Isabelle reassured shakily. “Just keep those two from causing anymore damage. The sooner we make them leave, the better off Chokewood will be!”

“…I understand,” the Dedenne girl nodded.

Not bothering to go change into something warmer, the nightgown-clad girl dashed out into the darkness. The moonlight was her only guide through the trees.

 _Please let me find them! I can’t let them ruin Chokewood!_ Tiffany prayed.

.o.o.o.o.

CLUNK!

“Nothing there!” Martin reported, moving to another rock.

CLUNK!

“Ugh! Nothing there either!” Martin stepped back, lowering his shovel. “These rocks aren’t anything special.”

“Hey, check it!” Laura lifted her shovel from the ground, showing off a chunk of stone with white bits sticking out of it. “Wonder what fossil this is?”

“Man, that mayor’s lame! She hasn’t even dug up the cool stuff yet!” Martin laughed, scampering over to his friend.

“I bet she doesn’t even have a shovel,” the Marill girl smirked. “What a loser! We cleaned out our towns ages ago! This place is a treasure trove!”

“Still…did you see her face? When we mentioned the monster,” Martin wrung his hands nervously. “You think she doesn’t know?”

“Of course she doesn’t know! The old mayor of this place made it all hush-hush, remember? She doesn’t know anything!” Laura declared. She frowned upon reaching the plaza. “Want to uproot her commemoration tree?”

“Isn’t that a big crime? I mean, yeah, we’re stealing stuff…but uproot _that_? We could get in huge trouble, Laura!” Martin yelped, eyes wide in shock at the suggestion.

“…Hmph! Whatever! Not like it’s worth the trouble, anyway!” Laura left the plaza alone. “Let’s keep hunting.”

They kept banging rocks and searching for dig spots. Laura uncovered another fossil before Martin called her over.

“I think the mayor’s coming! I can hear her crashing around over there,” Martin whispered, pointing west of them.

“Then let’s leave her a welcoming present from us, eh?” Laura cackled, beginning to dig.

.o.o.o.o.

Tiffany gasped for breath as she fought her way through the trees.

“Kids! Kids! Where are you? Answer me! Please!” she called.

Laughter came from up ahead. Shoving through the last of the trees, she limped into a clearing. She could see the two children near the center of it, shovels in their hands. The girl, Laura, ceased her laughter upon seeing the Dedenne girl.

“Awww! Look who came to ruin our fun, Martin,” the Marill girl complained.

“If it isn’t the loser mayor. Aw, shucks! Guess it’s game over for us, huh?” Martin shrugged, shovel swung over his shoulder.

“You’re both coming with me right now!” Tiffany ordered.

“Really? Make us!” Laura demanded.

“Yeah! Come get us! We won’t even run,” Martin added, grinning.

“Come get you? Fine, I will!” Tiffany stomped over to them. “I won’t tolerate you stealing from this place. I’m the mayor now and I sa—WAAAAAHH!!”

The ground fell away beneath her, sending the orange-haired girl plummeting into the pitfall trap below. Hitting the bottom, she gave a pained whimper and clutched her ankle. Pain erupted from every inch of her small frame. Laughter made her look up, revealing the two kids leering down at her.

“Man, did you see that? She fell right for it, no questions asked! Must’ve never encountered a pitfall trap before! Hah!” Martin laughed meanly.

Laura yanked down the lower lid of her left eye and stuck out her tongue. “Let’s see you get out of there without a shovel, loser mayor! You should’ve never come here! Hah!”

Tiffany felt tears stinging her eyes. Pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them, she buried her face against her knees. Their laughter rang in her ears long after they were gone.

_I promised Isabelle that I would stop them…but I couldn’t. How can I be a good mayor if I can’t even stop two kids from damaging Chokewood and stealing stuff?_

The Dedenne girl struggled to hold in her sobs. In the end, she simply couldn’t. Tears gushed down her cheeks in rivers as she bawled. Her crying was so loud that she never heard footsteps approaching the trap she was stuck in.

“Tiff? Hey, Tiff! Is that you?”

Tiffany jumped, startled. Scrubbing tears from her face, she looked up. Leaning over the edge of the pitfall, flaming collar lighting up the area, was Blake. The Typhlosion man looked surprised to see her.

“What are you doing down there?” he asked. “You fall into this thing? You shouldn’t wander around at night, you know.”

Tiffany looked away, cheeks burning with shame. Blake frowned.

“Hold on. I’ll get you out. Give me a sec, okay?” he said.

Blake vanished over the lip of the pitfall, disappearing from sight. After a moment, she heard the sound of something stabbing into dirt. The noise came again, over and over, until a shower of dirt came from above. Tiffany looked up to see Blake, armed with a shovel, digging away at the pit. It took him close to twenty minutes to dig a slope down to her, leaving a huge hole in the ground. Once the slope was finished, he quickly dashed down it.

“You okay, Tiff? Who did this?” he asked, dropping down to his knees in front of her.

Tiffany sniffed, tearing up more.

“Tiff!” Blake barked, shaking her by the shoulders. “Tiff, who dug this pitfall? Why are you even out here?”

“…I was trying to stop these two kids from stealing stuff. They hurt Isabelle…”

Blake froze. Then his eyes narrowed, teeth grit harshly. The flaming collar of his jacket seemed to grow brighter and larger. He let go of her and got to his feet.

“I’ll be right back. You stay here, okay?” he ordered coldly, turning his back to her.

“…Blake?” Tiffany looked up

“…Just stay here, okay? I’ll be back.” Blake headed up the dirt slope.

“Blake?” Tiffany squeaked, uncurling. “Blake!”

Reaching the top of the slope, Blake suddenly broke into a run.

“Blake!” Tiffany cried, getting to her feet…only to fall back down, her ankle screaming with pain. “Ow… Blake, wait! Blake!”

.o.o.o.o.

There was fire roaring through his veins. His collar burned against the back of his neck, but there was no pain. Only rage. Hate. The need for revenge. To right the wrong that had been done to Tiff, to his mayor, to…

_A girl with long blue hair smiled at him, flame lapping against her back. The Quilava giggled, hands latched onto his sleeve. Her ruby red eyes, so beautiful, so much like his own. She’d always looked up to him, wanting to one day be as strong as him, her darling…_

_“Big brother!”_

His vision cleaved through the darkness, leaving everything bare and bright as day to him. He could hear them, smell them, taste them! Only a little further ahead. The scent of apples assaulted his nose.

_Thieves! Both of you! Little thieving brats! How dare you? How dare you hurt my sister?_

The ground was tearing apart under his shoes. The flames grew larger, hotter, brighter, almost white with hatred.

_I’ll get you! I’ll get both of you! Make you pay for hurting her!_

The forest opened up before him. There they were, cackling gleefully as they stole apples from the trees. They thought they’d made a clean getaway.

_They’re about to know better. I’ll make them scream…_

They never knew what hit them.

.o.o.o.o.

“Look at that! Got a gem!” Martin cried, holding up the beautiful purple stone.

“Sweet! That’ll earn us a lot back home!” Laura grinned. “Fossils and apples and stuff galore!”

“And all of it’s for the taking because the residents and mayor are too stupid to take advantage of all this stuff!” Martin laughed.

“Totally!” the Marill girl agreed, zigzag tail wagging merrily.

STOMP! STOMP!

“Eep! What was that?” Martin yelped, ceasing his digging.

“I don’t…know…?” Laura froze, eyes locked on the tree line south of them. “…Martin… Run…”

“Run? Run from what?” Martin looked up before freezing, shovel clattering to the ground in terror. “Oh no…”

Stepping ominously toward them, eyes narrowed and collar blazing, was Blake. Both kids were too terrified to move, eyes locked on the approaching blue-haired man. Blake was growling, teeth grit sharply and hands balled into fists. Every step brought him closer and closer to the two rotten thieves before him.

“L-L-Laura!” Martin stammered, tearing up. “I-I-I don’t w-want to d-d-die!”

Blake was suddenly right in front of them. His red eyes were alight with rage.

“You hurt Tiff,” he growled.

 _Tiff? Who’s Tiff?_ Laura thought, brain not working properly.

“You made her cry,” Blake continued.

“L-L-Laura!” Martin keened, tears gushing down his knees. His knees knocked together loudly. “L-L-Laura!”

“You’re gonna pay for it,” Blake concluded. “Say your prayers.”

_What does he—_

A choked scream tore through Laura’s thoughts. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion for her while everything around her was going at super speed.

Blake was no longer in front of her, he was off to her side. His back was arched back. One knee was buried in Martin’s gut, the brunette being the source of the scream that had ripped apart her thoughts only seconds ago. She could see the tears and blood fly from her companion’s features as he flew back, slamming into the ground and vanishing within a cloud of dust.

Then Blake was in front of her.

 _No! He’s not getting me too!_ Laura’s consciousness screamed, forcing her senses into overdrive.

She yanked back one arm, a ball of water forming in it. Then Laura lunged, forcing the arm forward. Type advantages flooded her mind, reminding her that she was Water-type and he was Fire-type. She could beat him. She just needed a well-placed hit. Then she could grab Martin, run back to the train station, and go home with their stolen riches.

Blake’s hand snatched her wrist and yanked her arm wide, swinging the tiny girl around him. Laura never got to scream before she got a mouth full of dirt. Then he had her by the ankle and swung her around again, slamming her back-first into a tree. There was a hand around her throat and a scream tore free of her lips.

_Help me! Help me! Please, someone help me!_

Red eyes. All she could see was fire and red eyes. Eyes full of rage and hate. Eyes that wanted to see her suffer, see her bleed, see her die! The eyes of a monster.

 _Help!_ Laura mentally pleaded, tears running down her cheeks. _I don’t want to die!_

Blake flung her around, sending her crashing down atop Martin’s still frame. The Bidoof boy was nearly unconscious, groaning, a string of blood dripping from his mouth to the ground. Laura struggled to get upright, only to fall over his body again.

Blake was coming at her again, slow and predator-like. He knew he’d won. He knew they couldn’t escape. He knew…

 _Someone, please help us,_ Laura thought, lowering her head to sob over Martin. _Please, help!_

He was standing over them now, flames roaring over his head and eyes aglow. Laura could only stare, mouth agape, tears flowing freely down her cheeks, as the blue-haired man leaned back and lifted one leg up. Knee bent, foot positioned right over her and Martin, ready to surge down and crush them both in one stomp.

_He’s going to kill us!_

Hellfire eyes narrowed down at them. “Die and repent, brats,” he growled coldly.

His foot came down. Laura jerked, burying her face in the face beneath her. A terrified scream erupted from her throat.

“SOMEONE HELP US!!”

“STOP!!”

Heat. All Laura could feel was heat. Sweat coated her skin, making her feel filthy. Martin gave another groan under her, not coherent enough to recognize the danger they were in.

Then the Marill girl realized the heat was coming no closer. She was not burning to death. She and Martin had not been crushed under the enraged Typhlosion man’s foot. They were still alive.

“Stop it, Blake! Please, stop!”

Laura froze before slowly looking up. Standing before them, arms flung wide, was the loser mayor. She was trembling, forcing most of her weight on her right leg. The black hair alongside her face was puffed, sticking out horizontally like whiskers. Her long black tail was puffed up and her ears were folded back, almost invisible beneath her hair.

Then Laura realized the mayor wasn’t alone.

Blake had been forcibly dragged back a few feet by a woman with brown hair and antlers covered in pink flowers. The Sawsbuck woman had her head ducked down to avoid catching on fire, arms wound tightly around the Typhlosion man’s chest. He had seemingly frozen, leg still raised to deal the killing blow, eyes wide in shock.

Off to the mayor’s side was a woman with black hair wearing flowing clothes of red and yellow. Atop her head were two snarling mouths on stalks, both of them drooling and snapping and growling. The Mega Mawile woman’s red eyes watched the scene, drinking it in with amusement.

“Blake, calm down! You have to stop this!” the Sawsbuck woman pleaded.

“Blake, as your mayor, I’m ordering you to stand down!” the Dedenne mayor declared bravely. “So stop! Now!”

“…They hurt you. Hurt the mayor. Had to pay. Deserved—”

“Blake, wake up! Those two are just children, petty thieves at that! They didn’t attack our mayor with _that kind_ of malicious intent!” the Sawsbuck woman cried.

Blake froze. “…I’m sorry…” He lowered his leg, foot resting on the grass heavily. “I’m sorry, Tiff. I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay. At least we got you to stop before you…” The Dedenne girl trailed off.

“Honestly, Blake, it’s been forever since I’ve seen you get that mad. Got a soft spot for our new mayor, do you?” the Mega Mawile teased.

“Stop it, Cora. You’re not helping,” the Sawsbuck woman warned.

“I meant nothing by it. Relax yourself, Sheila,” Cora countered, frowning. “Though he sure did a number on those two. Not that they didn’t deserve it. It was bound to happen one of these days.”

“Blake? Are you okay now?” the Dedenne girl asked, limping toward him.

“…Yeah, I’m good. I… Sorry about that. I just…” Blake looked away. “…I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay. I’m just glad everyone is okay,” the Dedenne girl sighed, smiling. Then she turned to Laura and Martin. “Are you both okay?”

Laura shakily nodded before sitting up, pulling Martin half into her lap. Shaking him, the Bidoof boy gave a groan before opening his eyes.

“Hmmm? Are we dead, Laura?”

“No, we’re not. We’re still alive.” Laura looked up at the residents around them. “Just in really…really…really…big trouble.”

“I think I like death better,” Martin complained, gingerly sitting up and rubbing his gut.

“I suggest you drop everything you stole and jump on the first train home, kids,” Cora stated, glaring at them harshly. “And I’ll repeat what you’re always told—please don’t come back.”

“I’m taking Blake back to his house. Mayor, I can walk you home too,” Sheila offered, looking at their injured mayor with concern.

“Thank you. I think I’d like that,” the Dedenne girl smiled. “Cora, are yo—”

“Hey! Get back here, you scoundrels!”

The group turned to see Laura and Martin fleeing toward the train station, having taken advantage of the residents’ chatter to escape. Cora gave chase, only to pause when the pair got into the station. A few minutes later, a train roared out of Chokewood station and headed west.

“Darn it!” Cora cursed, hands fisted. “I shouldn’t have taken my eyes off of them!”

“They’re gone now. That’s all that matters,” Sheila pointed out, leading Blake away from the clearing. “Come along, mayor. Let’s go home.”

“But all the stuff they stole!” Tiffany argued.

“Well, no use trying to get it back now. They’re long gone,” Cora snorted, stalking away. “Have a nice rest, mayor. Those ruffians will likely be back in a few days, anyway. You can scold them then!”

Tiffany watched the older woman disappear before limping after Sheila. They dropped Blake off at his house before heading toward the Dedenne girl’s tent. Sheila gave her goodbyes before trekking home herself.

Tiffany shakily changed into a fresh nightgown and crawled into bed. _I hope Isabelle is okay…and Blake… Why did he snap like that? He looked even scarier than usual like that…_

Shoving those thoughts away, she curled up under the covers and forced herself to stop thinking. She fell asleep shortly afterward.

.o.o.o.o.

“Ow! That Typhlosion guy was crazy! He was seriously trying to kill us, Laura!” Martin complained.

“I know,” Laura muttered, resting her cheek against the window. _Did he do all of that…just because we hurt his loser mayor?_

“We should report him! He’ll regret messing with us then!” the Bidoof boy declared, leaning back in his seat.

“Then we’d have to give back what we took tonight and admit to setting the pitfall trap,” Laura reminded dully. “Let’s just go home and sleep, okay? I’m tired…”

“…Laura?”

Martin leaned forward in his seat, reaching over to shake the Marill girl’s shoulder. Soft snores escaped her lips. He drew back, frowning. He took in all the bruises and scratches covering her. A hand rested on his stomach, pain still radiating from the area.

“…We should’ve never gone back to Chokewood, Laura,” he muttered sadly. “I told you we’d only get in trouble. I told you messing around with their new mayor was bad news. So why’d you make us go?”

“Chokewood? My, that name is coming up a lot lately!”

The Bidoof boy jumped, terrified. Then he looked up, seeing an upside-down face with cream-colored hair and black cat ears looking down at him. A shiny golden coin was stuck to the other’s forehead. Martin sighed, falling back against his seat in relief.

“Rover! It’s just you…”

“Well, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you two,” Rover greeted, smiling. Then he blinked, curious. “Are those bruises? You two weren’t stealing again, were you?”

“…Yeah,” Martin looked away in guilt. “It was Laura’s idea. We heard that Chokewood got a new mayor, so we thought we’d pop in to see them.”

“A new mayor? How funny!” Rover laughed. “I just encountered a new resident to Chokewood a few days ago! Coincidence much? Who’s the new mayor, if I may ask?”

“Some loser Dedenne girl,” Martin shrugged. “We sent her falling into a pitfall trap when she tried to chase us after we ran from her secretary. She’s such a crybaby, you wouldn’t believe it! She even sent her psycho Typhlosion buddy after us ‘cause she couldn’t get out of the pitfall by herself! He almost killed us! We got away, of course, but still!”

Rover frowned, ears folding back. “Did you say…a Dedenne?”

“Yeah,” Martin nodded. “She’s a total loser.”

“Martin, I should hope you are exaggerating the details of your story because I am certain the mayor you speak of is the new resident I encountered on this very train,” the Meowth man said.

Martin froze. “…Oh… Really?”

“Really.” Rover abandoned his seat, plopping down beside Martin instead. “Martin, I want you to do me a favor.”

“…Yeah?”

“Wake up Laura. I want the truth out of you two,” Rover said, arms crossed over his chest. “Though I’m surprised to hear that Tiffany is Chokewood’s new mayor, I highly doubt she’d sent a crazed Typhlosion after you. I’m not letting either of you disembark this train until I get the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Understand?”

“…Understood,” Martin squeaked, scrambling over to Laura’s seat.

Shaking Laura awake, the pair proceeded to tell their tale to the train-bound man. Rover listened with rapt attention, not letting a single detail escape him. When their tale was through, he leaned back with a hum of approval.

“That is very surprising. You learn new things every day,” Rover admitted. “But still, I cannot allow such a thing to slide. Your thievery is one thing, but you intentionally caused harm to the mayor of another town. In return, you are both going to—”


	3. Day 3, June 10th

“We’re sorry, Mayor Tiffany!”

Tiffany jumped, startled. “Uh… Apology…accepted?”

“Well, is it or isn’t it accepted?” Laura demanded.

“Be nice,” Rover reminded firmly.

“Um… Accepted, I guess,” Tiffany replied, looking away.

“You guess?” Martin cried. “How can you _guess_ it’s accepted? You’re the mayor!”

“Martin, down!” Rover snapped.

The Bidoof boy stepped back, head lowered in shame. Laura huddled close to him, eyes on the floor. Rover sighed, running a hand across his coin in frustration.

“My apologies for all the trouble, Tiffany. When I heard what happened, I couldn’t stand by and let them get away with such a thing,” he explained. “Thievery is one thing, but setting a pitfall trap for the mayor of a town? Unacceptable!”

“No, it’s all right. I’m just glad everyone was okay in the end!” Tiffany yelped.

“Okay for the long-term. The short-term is a different matter,” Isabelle huffed, limping to her desk to organize papers.

Over an hour ago, a train arrived in Chokewood Station. On board were Rover, Laura, and Martin. All three disembarked and headed for the town hall, Rover requesting a meeting with Tiffany. Upon her arrival, Rover had the pair publicly apologize before Isabelle and the rest of Chokewood’s residents, who came to see what all the fuss was about. Once that was done, they made a more private apology before Tiffany herself.

“Everyone is okay. Nobody was seriously injured…I hope,” Tiffany glanced at the two kids.

“Martin and Laura will be fine. I made sure they visited the hospitals in their respective towns last night when they returned home,” Rover reassured. “Just bruises and scrapes. Nothing serious.”

“Good,” the Dedenne girl sighed. “I apologize for Blake’s behavior. I’m not sure what got into him last night.”

“No need for an apology. They likely provoked him by sending you into that pitfall trap,” Rover shrugged. “Either way, what’s done is done. Hopefully, there will be no hard feelings held between you.”

“Yeah,” Tiffany nodded.

“Whatever,” Martin huffed, looking away.

“Laura, I believe you have something to give to Mayor Tiffany,” Rover reminded, looking pointedly at the Marill girl.

Laura hesitantly stepped forward, holding out her satchel. Taking it, Tiffany emptied it onto the counter. A gem, some fossils, a shovel, and a bunch of apples scattered across the wooden surface. Isabelle gasped.

“You were the ones who stole that shovel from the Nooklings!” the Lillipup girl accused.

“Likely to replace Martin’s shovel, which was on the verge of breaking from banging it against all those rocks,” Rover added. “I had them return most of what they stole. I let them keep some of the apples, though. In exchange, I had them surrender a few pears from their towns. They are plentiful there and it will broaden the trees you have growing here in Chokewood. A good enough trade, do you think?”

“I guess, yeah,” Tiffany nodded, handing the satchel back to Laura. “Thank you for this, Rover.”

“I could not let them escape after harming you. Though I will say that I did not expect you to be mayor,” the Meowth man chuckled.

“Sorry about that. I guess I forgot to mention it,” Tiffany giggled. _I didn’t even know I was mayor until after I got off the train, Rover…_

“That is bad if the mayor herself did not even know the name of her town had changed,” Rover joked, smiling. “Martin, isn’t there something you wish to tell the mayor?”

“Yeah… If you want to make a ton of money fast, trying doing this—dig two holes near a rock and then stab it with the shovel. If you’re lucky, money will come out of the rock!” Martin explained. “It’s really cool! Nobody knows why it happens, but I say it’s buried treasure that got stuck in the rock from being buried for so long!”

“…That makes no sense, Martin. You know that, right?” Laura asked, staring at him.

“Who cares? It’s a cool way to make lots of money really fast…if you can find one, of course,” Martin smirked.

Tiffany stared at Rover in confusion. Isabelle sighed, rolling her eyes.

“I swear to you that what Martin says is indeed true, strangely enough. I’ve seen it. Such a rock, a money rock, does exist in Chokewood and other nearby towns. Martin and Laura have found it many times,” Rover explained.

“Really?” Isabelle muttered, not believing it.

“Really,” Rover promised.

“Thanks for telling me this,” Tiffany said. _A money rock, huh? If that’s true… Maybe I’ll check those rocks out a bit better sometime today._

“No problem. I am glad I could help,” Rover replied. “I will take these two back to their towns and leave you to finish your work here, Mayor Tiffany.”

“It was nice seeing you again,” Tiffany admitted.

“Same,” Rover nodded. “Though I wish it had been under better circumstances. Oh well, there is always next time.”

“Yeah,” Tiffany agreed. “Goodbye!”

“Bye!” Rover called.

The Meowth man headed out the door, keeping a firm grip on Laura and Martin’s shoulders to discourage an escape. They left the town hall and headed north toward the train station. Soon enough, the train whistle signaled their departure.

“I’m glad that’s over. I hope those two have learned their lesson this time!” Isabelle huffed, glaring at the door.

“At least they apologized,” Tiffany added. _Even if Rover had forced them to._ “How’s your foot doing?”

“Better than last night, but it still really hurts,” the Lillipup girl complained. “How about your ankle?”

“Pretty much the same thing. Thankfully, it’s not broken or anything,” the Dedenne girl replied.

“That’s good. I’d have hit those kids with the book if they’d have seriously hurt our new mayor!” Isabelle declared, lifting a heavy book over her head.

“Don’t you think Blake did enough to them?” Tiffany yelped.

“Oh yeah… Well, I guess I wouldn’t do that then.” Isabelle set the book down and sighed. “Oh, yeah! Did you know that we have a new resident moving in?”

“Huh?” It took Tiffany a moment to remember the empty space she’d seen on reserve. “Oh yeah! I saw that! Someone named Amy, right?”

“Yep! They haven’t really spoken with anyone yet, so I was thinking you could pop on over and give a nice welcome to them personally,” Isabelle suggested cheerfully. “Since you’re both new and all, you know?”

“…Yeah, I think I’ll do that,” the orange-haired girl decided. “I’ll go do that right now. Thanks for reminding me about them.”

“No problem, Mayor Tiffany. Good luck with that new resident!” Isabelle wished.

The Dedenne girl left the town hall, heading west and across the bridge until she spotted the reserved space. There was a small house already built on it, but the posts marking it as reserved were still in place.

 _Everyone seems to be able to pay off their house down payment but me,_ she thought in despair.

Knocking on the door, Tiffany jumped when she heard a loud crash from inside. Pushing the door open, she hurried in. Lying on the floor, a tipped over cardboard box in front of her, objects scattered across the floor, was a girl with long green hair and a giant green leaf extending from the top of her head.

“Are you okay?” she cried, dropping down to help the girl sit up.

“Uh… Ow…” The girl hunched over, clutching her head. “So much for that idea. I guess trying to unpack by myself was a bad idea. I guess I should’ve asked my brother to help out after all.”

“Uh… Are you okay, miss?” Tiffany repeated nervously.

“Huh?” The girl looked up, ruby red eyes locking onto Tiffany. “…Oh! Crud! Are you a resident here? And here I thought I could surprise everyone by showing up dramatically or something. Awww!”

“Uh… I’m…sorry?” Tiffany squeaked, suddenly nervous.

“Nah! It’s all good. Trying to move all this junk by myself, I was asking to get found early,” the girl shrugged, brushing herself off as she stood.

 _Should I tell her that Isabelle and I already knew she was here?_ Tiffany wondered, getting to her feet.

“Well, guess I better introduce myself. The name’s Amy! I just moved here today!” the girl declared, holding out a hand. “And you’re…?”

“Tiffany,” the Dedenne girl replied, shaking her hand. “You’re a…Chikorita, right?”

“Yep! Did the leaf give it away?” Amy grinned, the leaf atop her head waving in response. “And you’re a Dedenne. Man, you’re so small!”

Tiffany felt like a boulder had dropped on her. _It’s…not my fault…that everyone is…bigger than me…_

“Hey, wait… The mayor of this town is a Dedenne. Does that mean you’re…?” Amy suddenly gasped. “Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to call you small, mayor!”

“It… It’s okay… I understand…” Tiffany replied, head hung in shame. _Why is everyone in the world bigger than me? I was barely bigger than those kids but once they grow up… Awwww!_ She tugged her hair in sorrow. _Why must Dedenne be so tiny?!_

“Uh… Mayor? Are you…okay?” Amy asked, watching the miserable display in confusion.

Tiffany froze before shaking those awful thoughts away, putting on a cheery smile. “I’m just fine. No worries here! I’m happy to welcome you to Chokewood, Amy.”

“Nice to be here,” the Chikorita girl smirked.

After a bit of chatting, Tiffany left Amy’s home. As she walked, she dug through her pockets and froze as her fingers brushed over a squishy surface. Pulling the object out, she realized it was one of the pears that Rover had made the two kids give her.

_“I had them surrender a few pears from their towns. They are plentiful there and it will broaden the trees you have growing here in Chokewood.”_

She paused, finding herself in an open space between the apple trees. Kneeling down, she dug a small hole in the ground. Dropping a pear into it, she covered it back up and moved onward. She repeated this process in different spots until she had planted four pears.

 _How long will it take them to grow? Probably a while,_ the Dedenne girl thought.

Most of the pears now planted, Tiffany then headed north to Main Street. She went toward the museum, curiosity getting the better of her. _I wonder what’s inside,_ Tiffany thought, looking up at the huge building. _Only one way to find out…_

She moved forward, pushing the massive doors open. Then she walked inside.

“Hoo! I welcome you to the Chokewood Museum!” a voice greeted.

Standing in the middle of the large room was a tall man with brown hair and a bushy cream-colored trident covering his forehead and eyebrows. He had red eyes hidden behind thick glasses. He was wearing a cream sweater with two rows of three dark brown upside-down triangles decorating it and brown pants. A pair of dark brown wings was folded behind his back and Tiffany could see a dark brown wedge-shaped tail twitching behind him.

“Um, hi,” Tiffany squeaked, tail puffing up. _It’s a Noctowl!_ ‘Predator’ shot through her mind at a million miles a minute but she covered it with a nervous smile. “I’m Tiffany. I’m kind of—”

“Aren’t you the new mayor of our town?” the Noctowl man interrupted. He smiled. “I’m Blathers, the director of this museum. It is my honor, entirely, to make your acquaintance.”

“Um… Nice to make your acquaintance, too,” Tiffany said quickly. “But how did you know I was the mayor?”

“Tom Nook told me. And the Nooklings, of course,” Blathers replied. “It’s nice to finally meet you, mayor.”

“Sorry to have kept you waiting. I’ve been busy,” Tiffany explained.

Blathers raised a hand. “No, no, it’s perfectly okay. The mayor has a busy schedule. I can understand that. I’m just glad you chose to drop in at all, especially so soon. I almost wish you hadn’t…”

“Huh?” Tiffany looked confused. “Why? Wouldn’t you want me to come in?”

“Let me elaborate, yes? This museum exhibits the very best in archaeology, the natural sciences, and art—fine and otherwise,” Blathers explained merrily. Then he froze before slapping a palm on his face. “Oh! There I go again! You’ll find that whenever I open my mouth, ten words will fall out when just two will do. My apologies, mayor. I’ve been trying to fix that but when I get an idea, it just takes flight of its own accord!”

“No, it’s okay! Really!” Tiffany yelped. _Even if I didn’t understand half of what you just said then…_

“Never mind! Let me start over with fewer words,” Blathers insisted. “This museum exhibits insects, fish, assessed fossils, and artwork. The reason? To make Chokewood as great as it can possibly be.” The Noctowl man suddenly lowered his head, sighing. “But here is our problem. Due to past events, we’re currently exhibiting very little. Almost nothing, really. What’s being exhibited was found by yours truly…but it’s not very much, I’m afraid. It’s actually quite embarrassing.”

“Oh!” Tiffany looked around and, in what little she could see of the four rooms surrounding the entry hall, there was indeed nearly no exhibits to be seen. _Recent events… Could that be the taboo event from five years ago? Has this place been empty for nearly five years?_ “I… Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Anything you could do? Well…” Blathers tapped his chin in thought before smiling. “Actually, yes! Yes, there is! If you’d donate your precious finds to the museum, I would be eternally grateful…as would all of Chokewood.”

“Precious finds?” Tiffany repeated.

“Insects, fish, fossils, and artwork of any kind!” Blathers explained, suddenly excited. “If this museum doesn’t have it on display yet, I’ll gladly accept it as a donation. Perhaps if there are enough exhibits on display, it will attract more people to Chokewood!”

“…Fossils?” Tiffany dug through her pockets. “Um… Will these work?”

She pulled out the four fossils that Laura and Martin had stolen. Eyes lighting up, Blathers picked one up and looked it over.

“Let me see here… Hmmm… Oh! This is a tricera skull! I don’t have this yet in our collection,” Blathers cried. “…Actually, I have no fossils in my collection. I’m not very good at digging, fishing, or catching bugs.”

Looking over the remaining fossils, he identified them with the ease of a true fossil expert. Blathers’ eyes were shining as he looked them over, awed by the fact he got to see them at all. He was on the verge of tears when Tiffany instantly declared she would donate them to the museum.

“If only we had the other pieces, these magnificent animals would be complete,” Blathers said, looking down at the fossils he carried. “Thank you so much for your donations, mayor. I look forward to seeing you again soo—”

“Then we’ll make them complete!”

Blathers blinked, confused. “…Huh?”

“We’ll make those animals complete. I’ll do whatever I can to help this place prosper as it once did!” Tiffany declared bravely. “If you can’t dig, fish, or catch bugs very well, then I’ll do my best to do all of that for you. I’ll earn enough money to get those tools and help fill up this museum!”

“…Really?” Blathers asked, amazed. “You’d do all of that, mayor?”

“…I want to be the best mayor Chokewood has ever had,” Tiffany admitted. “If that means greeting every new citizen, chasing thieves around at night, and working my tail off to fill up this museum…then I want to do it! I want Chokewood to prosper like the great town I know it once was!”

“The great town…it once was…?” Blathers repeated, baffled.

 _Mother said Ashwood was beautiful. There were so many people and so much nature. I want Chokewood to be the same,_ Tiffany thought. _I want Chokewood to be Ashwood again. I don’t know what happened back then…but I don’t care! I’m the mayor here now…so I’ll do all I can to make this place as great as Ashwood was! It deserves that after whatever happened back then…_

“Blathers, will you help me?”

“Huh?” The Noctowl man snapped out of his thoughts, looking at the mayor. “Help you…?”

“Help me make Chokewood a great place, just like Ashwood was,” Tiffany said.

“Ash…wood?” Blathers looked away.

“I don’t know what happened back then. Nobody will tell me and even the previous mayor made sure nobody could hear of it with that taboo. I know Chokewood was once Ashwood…and I want it to go back to being the same place,” Tiffany explained, head lowered, one hand on her chest. “My mother told me a lot about Ashwood, how beautiful it was. Whatever happened back then when Ashwood became Chokewood, it made this place dark and empty. I want to make it bright and beautiful again, just like Ashwood once was. Maybe I’m just clinging to this town’s past…but it’s all I know. I don’t know Chokewood…and I’m not sure I even want to…but I want to help this place get better. I really do…”

A hand rested on her shoulder. Tiffany looked up at Blathers. The brunette gave a small smile.

“I get it. I want that, too. Ashwood was really beautiful…and it killed me to see it become this awful place. Everyone left and everything fell apart. All that remains are broken pieces…but maybe we can fix it, if only a little?” Blathers said, tears stinging his eyes. “I want Chokewood to prosper, too. It’ll never be Ashwood, though. Ashwood is gone…but maybe Chokewood can become even greater than Ashwood was. How does that sound?”

“You’re not gonna tell me to stop talking about the past? About Ashwood?” Tiffany asked, surprised.

Blathers shook his head. “I’d be a hypocrite if I did. I can’t talk about the details thanks to that taboo…but I can work around it.”

Tiffany smiled. _Someone else misses Ashwood too!_

“Again, thank you for the donations. I wish you luck in your hunt for cash to buy tools with. Hope to see you soon!” Blathers wished.

“No problem! I’ll do my best to help you out here!” Tiffany promised.

The Noctowl man simply smiled as he watched the mayor dash back out the door. “What a brave young lady…”

.o.o.o.o.

600 bells and two bee chases later, Tiffany ran into a face she had yet to greet in Chokewood. It was the Bunnelby boy from her commemoration in the plaza. He was simply wandering around outside, enjoying the fresh air.

“Oh, mayor! Are you enjoying yourself here in Chokewood?” he asked.

“Yes, very much,” Tiffany nodded.

“Your hair’s a mess!” he suddenly commented.

“You try running from bees and keeping your hair neat and tidy. It isn’t easy,” the Dedenne girl scolded lightly.

“Bees? Ick!” The boy stuck out his tongue. “Oh yeah! I’m Percy. Nice to meet you, mayor!”

“Nice to meet you too, Percy,” Tiffany greeted back with a smile.

“Hey, are you gonna participate in the Bug-Off this Saturday?” Percy asked.

“Bug…Off?” Tiffany tilted her head, confused.

“Yeah, the Bug-Off! Oh, I can’t wait to catch some new ones!” Percy gushed, grinning. “My habitat jars and stuff are all ready for them. Maybe I’ll find a new species this year!”

 _No one told me anything was happening this Saturday,_ Tiffany thought. “…Maybe I will participate. I’ll see.”

“Well, hope to see you there if you show!” Percy laughed, hopping away merrily.

 _He seems like a good kid,_ she thought, smiling. _Now to see if I can find anymore bells around here._

.o.o.o.o.

“So yeah, can you find Blake for me? I really need to…chat…with him,” Kirk requested.

Tiffany looked up from the hammock she was sitting in. Kirk’s house was styled like the inside of a tree house would be, all wood and hammocks and fun stuff. He had a telescope by the window, jokingly declaring he used it to keep watch for cute girls or evil villains.

“Blake? What do you need to talk to him about?” Tiffany asked.

“It’s something really important. Can you just find him for me? I gotta finish something here, but I need to see him within the next hour,” the Gliscor boy explained, gesturing around his messy home. “So, can you find him for me, mayor? Pretty please with a Cheri Berry on top?”

“Sure! I think I know where he is,” the Dedenne girl nodded. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Oh, thank you! Thank you so much, mayor! You’re a lifesaver!” Kirk cried, lunging forward and hugging her.

“Eep!” Tiffany’s face got red instantly. “I’ll, uh…find him…right away, yeah?”

Once Kirk let her go, she shot out of the house and bolted west across the bridge and through the trees. Spotting Percy, she went around him before hitting the cliff and the slope down to the beach. She circled back around, hunting near the cliff for Blake. She had seen him just as she’d left Percy earlier and prayed he was still in the same area.

“Blake!” she called, cupping her hands around her mouth. “Blake! Where are you?”

“Tiff?”

“Blake!”

Tiffany dashed toward the voice, reaching the edge of the tree line to find Blake with his shovel in his hands. He had been digging a hole near one of the ponds, close to the cliff’s edge. The Typhlosion man lowered his shovel, looking at her curiously.

“You needed me for something?” he asked.

“No, not me! Kirk needs to talk to you about something, so he had me come find you,” Tiffany explained.

“He had you look for me? Lazy bum, making others do stuff he can do just fine,” Blake snorted.

“He said he was tidying up his house. That’s why he couldn’t come get you himself,” the Dedenne girl said.

“Tidying up? That’s weird… Even weirder is why he’d need to see me so urgently that he sent you out to find me. I can’t think of why he’d need to see me right now,” Blake muttered, scratching his head. “…Eh, whatever. Let’s just go see what he wants.”

As they headed north toward the bridge, Blake paused briefly and bent down. Tiffany turned in time to see him rip something from the ground. He held it up, revealing it to be a weed. Flames suddenly sprung up from his hand, engulfing the weed and turning it to ash.

“I hate weeds,” he said curtly.

“…Okay?” Tiffany squeaked, not sure whether to be surprised or scared.

Crossing the bridge, it didn’t take long to get to Kirk’s house. Darting inside, Tiffany flopped back onto the hammock. Kirk straightened from picking up clothes on the floor the moment Blake entered.

“Whoa! Talk about a quick trip! Glad to see you guys here so soon!” the Gliscor boy laughed.

“You needed me for something?” Blake prompted.

“Yeah…” Kirk dug through a drawer before holding out something. “I…decided it was time to give this back to you. I borrowed it a long time ago and just happened to find it while cleaning up.”

The Typhlosion man held up the shirt, unfolding it. “…Oh! That bunny tee of mine! I wondered where that went!” he exclaimed. “I guess I must’ve borrowed it to you after all. I wasn’t sure if I had or not. I was a bit too embarrassed to ask you.”

 _Bunny…tee?_ Tiffany tried to picture the intimidating Blake wearing a t-shirt with a cute bunny on it. _…Weird…_

“You? Embarrassed? No way!” Kirk teased. “But yeah, no worries. It’s yours once again!”

“Thanks! Now if you don’t mind, I’ll be taking this home,” Blake declared, heading for the door. He suddenly paused before looking sternly at Tiffany. “You saw and heard nothing here.”

“…I saw and heard nothing,” she squeaked, petrified.

“…Good. Have a nice day.” Blake headed out the door.

An awkward few moments passed before Kirk burst out laughing. “Hah! ‘You saw and heard nothing’, eh? Man, Blake! Still embarrassed about that tee, huh?”

“Well, it’s certainly a…strange thing to picture him wearing,” the Dedenne girl admitted, giggling.

“Not that he’ll ever wear it in public, but he really adores that thing. I feel kind of bad that I had it for so long and forgot about it. Poor guy, probably panicked and thought he’d lost it or something,” Kirk shrugged. “His sister made it for him, you know.”

“…His sister?” Tiffany repeated.

“Yeah, his little sister,” Kirk nodded. “She was a real sweet kid, you know. Always smiling and laughing and helping everyone. One of the brightest souls in this town.”

“…You said ‘was’,” Tiffany commented. “Is she not here anymore?”

Kirk got real quiet. He didn’t speak for a long time. When he finally did, his voice was shaking horribly.

“She… Oh god, don’t tell Blake I told you. He will kill me!” he pleaded. “Look, I shouldn’t tell you this but…the bunny tee thing won’t make sense unless you know. She made that tee for him…a few days before she…disappeared.”

“She’s missing? Oh no!” Tiffany gasped.

“Yeah,” Kirk nodded, looking away. “Blake’s still really broken up about it. That tee is one of the few things he’s got left of her. He doesn’t talk about her anymore, so don’t mention this to him. Actually, don’t mention it period. To anyone. Ever.”

“I…understand,” Tiffany whimpered, ears folding back in sorrow. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. You didn’t know. Not like you could’ve done anything about it, anyway,” Kirk said. “Don’t worry about. Just…don’t treat Blake any different, okay? He hates that. He just wants to be treated like normal, so…keep up with the way you’ve been acting around him.”

“…I will,” she promised.

“…Anyhow, thanks for helping me out with that!” Kirk said, suddenly chipper. “I’ll mail you your reward later.”

“Reward? Oh no, I couldn’t—”

“You can and you will accept it. I insist,” Kirk declared.

“…Okay,” Tiffany sighed. _This mayor thing is harder than it seems. Everyone sure is pushy with giving me rewards and stuff. Should I just get used to this?_

.o.o.o.o.

“Thank you kindly for your purchase, mayor. Enjoy!” Tommy wished, waving goodbye from Nookling Junction.

Tiffany smiled happily as she headed through Main Street. After shaking a few more trees and trading in a bunch of apples and a beehive—500 bells for one, holy cow!—she had successfully bought herself a shovel and a net. She had also gotten another fortune cookie, planning to munch both treats that night before bed.

 _Now I can start earning more money and get Blathers some more exhibits,_ she thought proudly.

Recalling how Laura and Martin had been digging near the event plaza, she headed there to test out her shovel. Searching around, she soon spotted a crack in the ground just south of the plaza. Stabbing her shovel into the ground, she dug a bit until she unearthed a chunk of rock with white bits in it.

“Ah! I found a fossil!” she realized, eyes sparkling. “I wonder what it is. Better take it to Blathers later and find out. Won’t he be impressed, me getting him new exhibits just hours after making that vow of mine!”

…Her happy moment died when a mosquito promptly bit her on the cheek.

“Yow! Stupid mosquitoes!” she hissed, slapping her cheek only to watch as the insect escaped to the safety of the pond.

A yellow ball of light fluttered by her nose, making her jump back in fright. An idea hitting her, she grabbed her net and lunged after it. She missed a few times, trying to catch the insect, before finally slapping her net down over it.

“Aha! Gotcha!” she declared, grinning down at the firefly. “Maybe catching these things for Blathers won’t be so hard after all!”

.o.o.o.o.

“My pockets are getting pretty full. Maybe I should go drop all this stuff off at the museum now,” Tiffany muttered.

The waves lapped at her feet as she walked along the beach. Night had begun to fall, stars beginning to twinkle in the darkening sky above. Aside from picking up a few shells, she’d managed to net another firefly and an emperor butterfly. Her pockets were bulging with her prizes—apples, shells, fossils, glass jars with insects in them, etc.

Leaving the beach, Tiffany hurried north to Main Street and scurried into the museum. Blathers snapped to attention upon seeing her, looking surprised.

“Back already?” he asked.

“Got a shovel and a net,” the Dedenne girl explained. “So I decided to get you some exhibits. Got some bugs and fossils for you!”

“Here, let me help! No need to pull them all out by yourself!” the Noctowl man yelped, taking the glass jars from her. “Ah! Insects! Just what I need!”

“Good,” Tiffany smiled.

“I only need one of each exhibit, so you can keep the extra firefly,” Blathers added, handing back a glass jar. “Maybe sell it at Re-Tail? It might fetch a good price.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she promised, stowing the trapped bug away. “As for these fossils…”

“Let’s see what we’ve got here!” Blathers said, taking the four hunks of rock from her. “…Ooh! These are all rare fossils that we don’t have in our collection yet! You sure have a knack for finding these, don’t you? I’m jealous…”

“It’s easier now that I have a shovel to actually dig them up with,” Tiffany admitted, blushing.

“So, do you want to donate them?”

“Of course! What else would I do with them?” Tiffany joked.

“Display them in your house somehow? I’m not sure. You’d probably think of something creative,” Blathers chuckled. “Thank you so much, mayor. I believe Chokewood will thrive well under you now.”

“I hope you’re right,” Tiffany admitted.

.o.o.o.o.

After stopping by Re-Tail to sell a bunch of apples, shells, and the extra firefly she had on her person, Tiffany headed back up to Main Street to another building she had yet to enter—the post office. It was right next door to Nook’s Homes and wasn’t very big at all. Entering it, she was surprised to see two young women behind the counter.

One was standing directly at the counter, a cheerful smile on her face. She had short white hair pulled back in a short ponytail, a thick blue blaze running along the top from her forehead to the back of her neck and going through her ponytail. She wore a yellow sundress with a small white jacket over it. Folded behind her back was a pair of large white bird wings, the ends having three finger-like digits that were blue in color. Her shoes were the same blue color as the wing’s fingers were.

Directly behind her, snoozing in a chair, was another woman that looked nearly identical to the first. The blue was replaced with green, though. She snored away in the chair, deaf to the world.

“Oh, hello there! Welcome to the Chokewood post office!” the first woman greeted. “My name is Pelly and I’m watching over the desk at the moment. My sister, Phyllis, will be in charge in a few hours, though. How can I help you?”

 _Pelipper,_ Tiffany realized. _Are those two twins? They sure look alike, aside from the differing colors…_

“Um, ma’am? Do you need something?” Pelly asked, concerned.

“Oh! Sorry! Actually, yes, I do need something,” Tiffany admitted. “I…want to send a letter to someone.”

“Who would this letter be sent to?” Pelly questioned.

“Blake, a resident of Chokewood,” Tiffany replied.

“Okay! Just drop anything you want to send into the red box!” Pelly instructed, indicating said box.

“Thank you,” the Dedenne girl said.

She pulled a piece of folded bejeweled paper from her pocket. Unfolding it, she scanned over her writing. A small smile formed on her face as she reread the letter she had written earlier.

Dear Blake,

First of all, I want to thank you for the shirt you gave me. I love it very much. That gift made me feel so welcome in Chokewood. I’ll treasure it forever.

Secondly, I don’t blame you for what happened that night. I’m not sure why you did it, but I don’t blame you. I’m just glad everything turned out okay. I think I can understand why you did it, but that doesn’t mean I like that you did. When you feel like it, maybe we could talk it over?

Thirdly, I’m glad you’re not as scary as I first thought you were. Had you not approached me that day with that gift, I might not have had the courage to get near you. I’m glad I can call you my friend.

Your mayor, Tiffany

P.S. I’ll never breathe a word about you-know-what.

Folding the letter up and putting it in an envelope, she dropped it into the red box. Pelly smiled, giggling behind a hand.

“All right! I’ll send this mail off at once!” she promised. “Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“No thank you. I’m good,” the Dedenne girl replied.

“Thank you for choosing Chokewood post office!” Pelly said with a smile, waving as Tiffany headed out the door.

Tiffany shivered as a cool breeze hit her, cutting through her clothes. Night had officially set in. It was time for bed.

She paused briefly upon seeing a large rock nearby. Martin’s talk of a money rock came to mind. Pulling out her shovel, she approached it. Digging two holes nearby, she pulled back the blade of her tool.

_What are the chances that this is even it? I’m wasting my time. Just go home._

Tiffany sighed, frowning.

_But if this is it, I could be that much closer to paying off the down payment for my house. I have to try…_

She lunged forward with a cry, the blade of her shovel banging against the rock. She yelped, falling back. Her hands were tingling from the impact.

CRACK!

Tiffany jumped, eyes on the rock. Her mouth suddenly dropped open as the stone fell away, revealing glittering gold beneath. Crawling over, she dug through the gold until she’d emptied the rocky shell of coins. Aside from all the loose change, there were two fabric bags full of bells.

Tiffany gasped as she counted up all the bells from inside the rock. There were 1100 bells in coins and 3000 bells combined in the two money bags. Her jaw dropped at the amount.

 _…I’m rich. I just got 4100 bells from stabbing a rock,_ she realized. _…I’ve almost got that down payment for my house…_

Gathering up all the money, she shivered as another cold evening breeze struck her. It was getting darker and colder. Once she had retrieved every last coin, she staggered to her feet and headed south. Quickening her pace, she dashed home as the sky turned pitch black.

Reaching her home, she ate a quick apple dinner and munched on the two fortune cookies she had as desert. Then she changed into her nightgown and crawled into bed. _If making money had been this easy back home, I’d have never moved at all._

Her eyes fell shut and she fell in sleep’s sweet embrace.


	4. Day 4, June 11th

It was raining outside when Tiffany awoke that morning. It wasn’t pouring, but there was enough rain to make puddles and soak through clothes. It was chilly enough that she wore both her knit shirt and her jacket when she left her tent.

The flag was up on her mailbox, catching her attention. Opening it, she found two letters attached to two packages. Pulling them out and hurrying back into her tent, she pulled the letters free and scanned through them.

The first was from Kirk.

Dear Mayor,

Thanks for fetching Blake for me when I needed him. It was a big help. Here’s the reward I promised you. Enjoy!

From Kirk

The second was from her mother.

Dear Tiffany, my darling daughter,

How are you enjoying it in Ashwood, dear? I heard you had a bit of trouble getting there. I’m sure you pulled through just fine, though. You’re a smart girl.

It might be frightening, having your own place in a town you don’t recognize. I thought I’d send you a housewarming gift, just to make you feel more comfortable.

Moving is a shocking thing, but I’m sure you’ll pull through just fine. Don’t forget to kick back and relax sometimes. Too much stress will make you cranky.

Most of all, never forget that I love you. I always will. If things get bad, don’t be scared to call home or visit for a few days. I sure won’t mind.

Forever loving you, your mother

Tiffany felt her eyes tear up. She sniffed, scrubbing the tears away with her sleeve. “I love you too, mom,” she hiccuped. _I guess she didn’t know Ashwood was changed to Chokewood. Should I tell her?_

Opening the gift from her mother, she found a folded up blue and white thing. Gently unfolding it and setting it up beside the wall by her bed, she realized it was a table. She smiled, pushing it against the wall for future usage.

Turning to Kirk’s gift, she opened it up to find a gaming system of some kind. It still looked to be in good condition and even had a few games.

 _I guess I’ll have to set that up and try it out when I get my house,_ Tiffany decided, smiling.

Heading back outside, she nearly crashed into Amy. The green-haired girl hopped away with a laugh, a huge grin eating up her face.

“Sorry about that, mayor. Just enjoying this awesome weather!” she explained.

“Maybe it’s awesome for you,” Tiffany commented, jacket pulled slightly over her head. “Too much water on me and I’ll electrocute myself. That would hurt.”

“Ooh! Ouch!” Amy flinched. “Sorry to hear about that, mayor. This weather must suck for you, I guess.”

“It’s fine. I’ll manage…somehow,” the Dedenne girl shrugged. “At least it’s not a thunderstorm or something. I’d be like a walking lightning rod then.”

“Maybe you should get a better jacket. One with a hood, maybe?” the Chikorita girl suggested. “I’ve heard about that Able Sisters place up on Main Street. Maybe they can help?”

“I’ll see,” Tiffany nodded. “See you later, I guess.”

“Yeah. Bye!” Amy raced away into the trees, merrily dancing in the rain.

 _I haven’t visited the Able Sisters yet. Maybe I’ll do that today,_ Tiffany thought, trekking through the rainy weather across the bridge and heading north.

“Not enjoying the rain either, Tiff? Welcome to the club.”

She jumped, whirling around to see Blake hiding under an umbrella near a tree. She hadn’t even noticed the other resident, her eyes having been on the ground. The Typhlosion man looked pretty annoyed, glowering at the sky, before looking at her again.

“Might want a hood, you know? Rain boots, too. Those dainty shoes aren’t going to cut it in rain like this. Be glad it’s not worse than this or you’d be in a lot of trouble,” he pointed out.

Tiffany blushed, looking down at her shiny black dress shoes. “I get it, I get it! I have to go to the Able Sisters eventually! Will everyone quit saying that?”

“Not until you actually do it,” Blake teased, smirking.

“You…! Quit messing with me, you—EEP!”

Waving her shovel around in frustration, she’d taken a step back…and slipped on the wet grass, pitching herself backward. Tiffany twisted onto her side, shovel aimed at the ground to break her fall. A pair of arms suddenly caught her around the waist, yanking her up before she could hit the ground. Her shovel made a loud cracking noise as it struck a large rock nearby.

“Whoa! That was close! You trying to kill yourself or something, mayor? There are easier ways to do that, you know,” Blake scolded.

“S-Sorry,” Tiffany blushed, pulling free of his grip. “I guess I shouldn’t wave that around in this weather, huh? Sure taught me. I’ll jus—Huh?”

“What is it?” Blake asked, confused.

Tiffany pointed to her shovel. It was lying on the ground innocently, covered in water from the rain. That wasn’t what caught their attention, though.

It was the rock behind it. The rock that had seemingly broken apart when the shovel had hit it. The rock that now lay in many broken pieces around a lump of dark rock with shiny pink gems growing out of it.

“That’s like the gem those kids had on them when they were stealing stuff!” Tiffany realized, digging out the gem she spoke of.

“Well, that’s a first. Never seen that happen before,” Blake admitted. “…You take it.”

“Huh?”

“I said ‘you take it’. You’ve still got to pay off your house, right? You need the money more than I do,” Blake explained, picking up the gem and shoving it into her hands. “Besides, it was your shovel that broke the rock. You get first dibs.”

“I, uh…” Tiffany sighed, bowing her head. “Thank you.” She stowed the gems away in her pockets.

“No problem. Like I said, you need it more. I have a house. You’ve got a tent, plus you’re the mayor,” the Typhlosion man shrugged. “Use the money to get that house of yours…and maybe a rain coat or something.”

“I’ll do my best,” Tiffany promised, smiling.

.o.o.o.o.

Tiffany gave a triumphant cry as gold bells spilled on the ground from the rock. It had been her third attempt at finding the money rock that morning and she’d been lucky enough to find it again. Inside of it were three bags of money containing 7000 bells combined, along with 1100 bells in loose coins.

“House down payment, you’ve been acquired!” she giggled, gathering up all the coins.

Once that was done, she headed to Re-Tail to sell some shells, apples, and one of the gems. As Reese crunched the numbers for her, the Dedenne girl glanced at an object on display. It was a tall yellow clothes closet with little red tulips painted on the bottom left corner. All the clothes chatter ran back through her mind.

“I think I can part with 2,360 bells for all of that,” Reese declared, interrupting her thoughts. “Will that do for you?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. It will,” Tiffany nodded, accepting the money. “Um… How much is that clothes closet?”

“Oh, that? The asking price is 800 bells,” Reese replied, going over to it. “Are you interested in giving it a new home?”

“…Yes, I am,” Tiffany finally nodded, pulling out the required bells.

“Ah! Wonderful! I’ll have it delivered to you immediately, mayor!” Reese vowed, smiling warmly at her.

“Thank you,” the Dedenne girl said, smiling back.

.o.o.o.o.

“This spot is reserved for Nigel’s new home,” Tiffany read, scanning the sign.

She had gone fossil hunting and had dug up quite a few when she’d seen a reserved space close to the town hall. Curiosity made her wander over, checking out the fenced-in empty spot.

 _Better keep an eye on this spot then. I’ve got a new neighbor to greet soon,_ she thought.

She headed north, intent on going to Nook’s Homes to pay off her down payment and get her house. She paused, spotting a familiar purplish-blue-haired boy stumbling out in the rain. He had an umbrella tilted over his head and something held in his arms. Kirk looked quite a mess.

“Kirk!” she called, dashing over. “Are you okay?”

“Huh? Oh, hi, mayor,” Kirk greeted, giving a shaky smile. “Well, today’s been rough. First it started raining. I don’t really like rain, you know? Then Percy told me about this thing he really, really needed but couldn’t get on his own. So I made it my personal mission to find it for him…and I did, but it took forever and I’m exhausted.”

“You should go home. You look ready to collapse,” Tiffany urged, slipping under one of his arms to support him.

“But Percy’s counting on me. I’ve gotta deliver this to him,” the Gliscor boy argued.

“If it’s so important, then he won’t mind if I deliver it to him instead. You have to go home and rest,” Tiffany ordered, dragging the other toward his house.

“Really? You’d do that for me, mayor? But I already had you go on an errand for me,” Kirk complained. “I can’t make you do this too!”

“You’re not making me do anything. I’m choosing to do this,” Tiffany corrected.

Reaching his house, she pushed the door open and helped him inside. Once he’d collapsed on the hammock, he shakily handed over a white gift box wrapped in a green ribbon. Tiffany accepted it without hesitation.

“You gotta deliver it today, okay? He’s expecting it,” Kirk reminded, rolling over in his hammock. “I’ll repay you later.”

“No problem. I’ll make sure he gets it,” Tiffany promised. “Just get some rest, okay?”

“Will do,” Kirk nodded, yawning sleepily.

Tiffany left Kirk’s house once she was certain the Gliscor boy would stay put. Heading back around the pond to the west and then down south past the bridge, Tiffany soon found a patch of ground with a varnished wooden door set on it. There was a sign nearby declaring the space to belong to Percy.

There was a length of knotted rope sticking out from one end of the trapdoor entrance. Grabbing it, she tugged upward until the door opened. There was a rope ladder extending down a few feet into the ground, which had been dug out to resemble a dirt hallway. Climbing down the ladder and going down the short tunnel, she found a bright wooden door in front of her. She knocked, unsure of what to do.

“Come on in! Door’s open!” Percy called from inside.

Pulling open the door, the Dedenne girl stepped inside and gazed in wonder. It was as if the whole house had been purposely sunk underground. There were no windows but there were plenty of brightly-lit lamps and lights decorating the small home. The Bunnelby boy was munching on a salad, seated in a wicker chair with a cushion on the seat.

“Oh, hi! Nice to see you’ve found my place, mayor. Like it?” he asked, looking around proudly. “Dug it out myself…with Tom Nook’s permission, of course.”

“You did this?” Tiffany asked, amazed. “All by yourself?”

“Well, most people in my family are expected to be independent and able to do most everything yourself by the time we move out,” the gray-haired boy explained. “This is proof that I’m self-sufficient. I can dig my own house all by myself!”

“Wow!” Tiffany smiled. “It’s beautiful!”

“Thanks!” Percy giggled, blushing. “So, did you need me for something?”

“Huh? Oh! I have something from Kirk to give to you! He wasn’t feeling well, so I made him go rest while I delivered it to you,” Tiffany explained, pulling out the present.

“Huh? Really? He actually found it for me?” Percy questioned, hopping out of his chair and putting aside his salad. “Oh, no way! Did he actually find it?”

Taking the gift, he tore it open to reveal a bright yellow desk lamp.

“Yes! I can’t believe it! He actually got it for me!” Percy cried, hugging the gift. “I’ve had my eye on this thing for forever! But I’ve been broke as heck lately… Thank you so much for making sure it got to me, mayor.”

“You’re welcome,” Tiffany said. “Though you better thank Kirk, not me. He got it. I just delivered it.”

“Then I’ll just thank you both,” Percy decided. “I’ll be sure to give you a reward. Just wait until you see what I’ve got for you!”

“What is it?” Tiffany asked, curious.

“Go do whatever errands you’ve got today, mayor. You’ll see the big surprise when you get home,” Percy snickered. “And no peeking early! You’ll see soon enough!”

The Dedenne girl pouted, cheeks puffed. “Fine! Be that way!”

Percy just laughed before waving her off, plopping down to finish his salad. Tiffany went out the door and up the ladder, closing the trapdoor behind her.

 _I wonder what it is he doesn’t want me to see,_ she thought, horribly curious. _He said not to peek…so I guess I’ll finish all the stuff I need to do on Main Street first. Then I’ll check and see what he left me._

The orange-haired girl dashed north toward Main Street, going toward the museum. Bursting in, she smiled as she skipped over to Blathers.

“Hey! I’ve got some new stuff for…you?”

Tiffany paused, noticing that Blathers was snoring. He was asleep…while standing up. Then the brunette gave a jerk, eyes snapping open.

“Huh? Who?” He looked around before realizing Tiffany was in front of him. “Oh… Oh! I’m so sorry, mayor! I’m quite the night owl, you see. Well, aside from the fact that I’m a Noctowl, which are naturally nocturnal. I get pretty drowsy during the daytime. I’m so sorry that you saw that!”

“It’s okay, really. I understand. I should’ve checked before I just ran in like this,” Tiffany admitted, embarrassed. “…You sleep standing up?”

“All the time,” Blathers nodded. “I can’t sleep any other way. Not sure why, I just…can’t.”

“Okay,” Tiffany said. “Well, I found a bunch of fossils for you to assess.”

“Again? My, you find those things pretty fast. At this rate, our museum will be jam-packed full of exhibits,” Blathers laughed.

“Isn’t that the goal?” Tiffany teased.

“Indeed, it is,” the Noctowl man confirmed, smiling widely. “Let’s see what you’ve got here… Oh, yes! There are some new ones here.”

He took two of the fossils, handing the other two back to Tiffany.

“We already have these two, so feel free to do with them as you please. I’ve seen them fetch quite a price at Re-Tail,” Blathers suggested.

“Thank you! I’ll be back later, most likely,” Tiffany vowed, stowing the extra fossils away before dashing out into the rain.

Blathers smiled, watching her leave. The pitter patter of the rain made him feel sleepy again. Yawning, the Noctowl man’s eyes fell shut. Soon, he was snoring once more.

.o.o.o.o.

“Ah! Exactly 10,000 bells! I’m impressed you got it so fast, mayor!”

Tiffany smiled proudly, rocking back on her heels. _I guess I have to thanks those kids later for telling me that trick with the money rock. That really saved my tail with this down payment thing._

“Excellent! The money now makes everything official,” Tom Nook declared, putting away the bag of cash he’d been handed. “Now work can begin on your new home at once. Any particular preferences for color and such?”

“Hmmmm…” Tiffany tapped her chin, thinking it over. “How about…a red roof and light-colored walls.”

“I’ll be sure to specify all of that. Your home should be ready by tomorrow,” Tom Nook promised. “It’s been nice doing business with you.”

“Same,” the Dedenne girl agreed. _Even if you would’ve broke my bank account if I actually had one here._

“Oh, yes! Once your house is finished, I can help you update the exterior. Home remodeling, you know?” the Sentret man added. “Things like your roof, your door, and your fence can all be changed according to your desires at any point in time. I display new samples here every day, so feel free to browse if you grow bored or curious.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Tiffany promised. “Bye!”

“Bye!” Tom Nook waved goodbye.

Once Tiffany was outside, she jumped for joy. A cheerful cry escaped her lips. “Yes! I paid the down payment off! I can move into my new home tomorrow! No more sleeping in a tent! Yes!”

.o.o.o.o.

“8,500 bells for two fossils and a gem?!”

“That’s correct,” Reese nodded. “Is that…not enough?”

“N-No! It’s perfect! I didn’t expect to get so much for them!” Tiffany admitted, amazed.

“Didn’t Blathers tell you they’re worth a lot here?” the Girafarig woman asked. “You have met Blathers, yes? I wouldn’t want to be buying fossils he didn’t have yet.”

“Yes, I’ve seen him. These are fossils he already has,” Tiffany reassured. “I’ve been getting lots of fossils for him lately.”

“You have? That’s good!” Reese exclaimed. “He was so depressed when the museum lost most of its exhibits a few years back. He was never quite the same after that.”

“What happened to the museum?” Tiffany dared to ask, interested.

“Someone chose to set the place ablaze while Blathers was asleep. He nearly roasted in there,” Reese explained solemnly. “He escaped just fine, but the building—and thus everything inside—was completely destroyed. Nothing survived the fire. It all had to be torn down and then rebuilt.”

Tiffany gasped, hands over her mouth. “Who would do that?”

“Nobody’s quite sure. The culprit was never found,” Reese admitted sadly. Then she perked up. “Thank you for all your help with Blathers. I’m sure he’s very happy to have you around, helping him to rebuild.”

“He sure seems to be,” Tiffany giggled. “Well, I better go. It was nice talking to you!”

“Same,” Reese agreed. “Have a good rest of the day, mayor!”

Tiffany ran back to her tent, deciding enough time had passed for Percy to deliver…whatever it was he had decided to reward her with. Unzipping the flaps and stepping inside, she gasped. Against the wall to her left, across from her bed, was the clothes closet she had bought from Re-Tail earlier. Along the wall to her right was a large silver, robotic-looking dresser.

 _He gave me a dresser?_ Tiffany thought, checking it over. _Well…you can never have too many places to put clothes. Speaking of that…_

As Tiffany headed out of her tent again, her ears perked up. The rain had faded into light drops before vanishing altogether. The rainstorm had lifted, the sky beginning to light up as dark clouds rolled away into the distance. She smiled, eager to feel the sun’s warm rays on her face.

_Now that I think about it, maybe I should explore some new places now that it’s sunny out…like that clothes place Sheila told me about! I can check out the sales and maybe get something new to wear._

Dashing north, collecting some apples and money from the trees as she ran, she dropped by Re-Tail to rid herself of the excess apples before going up to Main Street. Running past Nookling Junction, she stopped outside of a big cheery-looking building, the name Able Sisters proudly painted on the front window. She entered through the nearest door.

The room had a few tables in it stacked with clothes of all kinds. Seated by a sewing machine, working diligently on a flashy dress of some kind, was a young woman with spiky brown hair with a deep goldenrod color on the underside and brown eyes. She wore plain clothes—a white T-shirt, khaki pants, and shoes along with a red and white checkerboard apron. Over her shoulders and cascading down her back with a cloak covered in a light but thick covering of brown quills.

Standing near a table close to the door Tiffany had entered was a similar girl. Her apron was green and white with a similar checkerboard pattern. Much like the Pelipper sisters at the post office, this girl had different colors compared to the one seated at the sewing machine. She had spiky red hair with a light brown underside, a red cloak of quills over her back, and pale red pants. The eyes and shirt remained the same colors as her companion.

“Ah!” the red-haired woman gasped, spotting Tiffany. “Welcome to the handmade fashion palace of the Able Sisters!”

“Oh? We have a customer?” the golden-haired girl asked, looking up. “…Oh! Could you be the new mayor everyone has been talking about?”

“Huh? New mayor?” The red-haired woman looked shocked. “…My goodness, you must be! Everyone in town has been buzzing about you since before you arrived! I wondered when you’d pop in!”

“Mabel!” the golden-haired woman cried, appalled. “I apologize for my sister. She’s very enthusiastic about new people.”

“No, it’s okay. I seem to be the center of attention wherever I go,” Tiffany admitted, embarrassed. “Sorry to have taken so long to visit. I’ve bee—”

“No need to apologize. You must’ve been very busy. We’re just glad that you’ve chosen to drop in at all, let alone so soon after your arrival,” the golden-haired woman reassured with a gentle smile. “Let us introduce ourselves. I am Sable and that’s my sister Mabel.”

“We’re the Able Sisters!” Mabel declared, grinning. “Just a couple of Sandslash that absolutely love clothes!”

“We specialize in handmade clothes, if you couldn’t guess,” Sable explained. “Of course, our accessories shop is the next door over if that’s what you’re looking for.”

“We’re not only a clothing store, though! We’ll gladly make brand new designs by request!” Mabel added. “We’ll even hold onto designs that you may want to make later. Just ask and we’ll be happy to service you!”

“That sounds incredible. I’ll keep it in mind,” Tiffany promised. “But…if you’re Sandslash, then where are your…?”

Sable lifted up a hand, displaying her short fingernails. “We clip our claws so they don’t snag our clothes. That’d be an awful way to ruin a design, having threads torn out by our own hands.”

“Oh! Of course! That makes sense,” the Dedenne girl admitted.

She looked around the shop for a bit, checking out the styles. She wound up finding a few good shirts and pants, along with a thick hooded jacket. Mabel accepted payment for the purchases with a smile while Sable kept sewing away in the corner.

“I think I’ll check out the accessories shop now. I’ll be sure to come back later, though,” Tiffany promised.

“No hurry! Nice to have met you, mayor!” Mabel declared, waving goodbye.

“Mabel, relax,” Sable encouraged.

“I can’t! We had the mayor in our shop, Sable!” Mabel cried, jumping around in excitement.

Sable sighed, shaking her head as she continued to sew. “We’ve had the previous mayor in here before.”

“But he was old!” Mabel whined.

The rest of the conversation was lost when Tiffany headed outside. Scampering next door, she opened the neighboring door and headed inside of it. There was a hall off to her left that led to a closed door, likely the Able Sisters’ shop. Placed on small tables around the room were hats, glasses, and other things.

Standing at the center of the room was a young woman with golden hair held up in a short ponytail and brown eyes. She wore a golden sweater with a brickwork pattern on it and matching pants. A short tail stuck out behind her.

 _If the Able Sisters were Sandslash…then she must be a Sandshrew,_ Tiffany guessed.

“Hello,” the woman greeted softly, the words almost sounding rehearsed. “My name is Labelle. Welcome to the accessories shop, part of the Able Sisters. We offer our products at very affordable prices. We deal with hats and accessories in this department of the store.”

“Ooh!” Tiffany looked around. “So many cool things… Might have to get some later.”

She headed for the door, wanting to explore some more. The sky was growing dark outside. Night was coming.

“Thanks,” Labelle said, bowing her head.

“No problem. I’ll be sure to come back later,” Tiffany replied.

Labelle merely nodded before looking away, checking over her stock. Tiffany headed outside, going toward the far western side of Main Street. Two trees, a few flowers, and a bench were there on a point overlooking the sea. She scampered over to the fence, looking at the crashing waves.

 _Why would my mother ever leave such a beautiful place?_ Tiffany wondered curiously.

Cora’s words echoed in her head. _“Even though the town name was changed five years ago, the event that caused it was happening for just over a decade beforehand.”_

The Dedenne girl frowned, head resting on the rope strung between the wooden posts of the fence. _My mother left Ashwood before I was born. Five years ago, it became Chokewood. Over a decade before, that strange taboo event was happening. Fifteen years… My mom left before then…but could it be related somehow?_

She sighed, watching the waves race along. Memories of the beach returned to her.

 _Maybe I’ll go to the beach, collect some shells or something,_ she decided.

Straightening up, she left the lookout point and headed to the Main Street exit, returning to Chokewood’s main residential area. She headed southwest until she reached the slope leading down to the beach. The sunset colored the sky a multitude of colors, like someone had spilled paint across it. Tiffany smiled, recalling her first day in Chokewood when she witnessed her first sunset as the mayor.

 _So much has happened in the past three days,_ she thought with a smile.

She walked along the beach leisurely, collecting various seashells she found washed up on the sand. There were so many different kinds. She was amazed at the weird things that could wash up from the sea.

A faint buzzing registered in her ear. She dashed away before whipping around, spotting a black spec slowly buzzing after her. Shoving the shells into her pockets, she pulled out her net before slamming it down over the bug. It took a few tries to properly snag the tiny insect before she found success, gently dropping her capture into a glass jar.

“Hah! Gotcha, mosquito!” she declared triumphantly, looking at the bug in the jar. “You’re not stinging me tonight! Not this time, anyway.”

Collecting a few more shells and dodging around another mosquito, her walk was halted when she saw someone lying on the beach. He was half in and half out of the water, just lying there face down in the sand. With a panicked cry, she shot forward to help the poor guy.

He was tall with short white hair, two pointed ear-like extensions atop his head, and dark eyes. Around his neck was an orange beak-like charm with a black tip. He wore a white T-shirt with a blue trim along the edges and blue shorts ending just past his knees, the edges slightly ragged. Splayed out across his back was a pair of long, thin white bird wings with a blue stripe across them. A short, fan-like tail made of three feathers with blue tips hung limply behind him.

 _A Wingull? What’s he doing out here in the water? Was it an accident out at sea?_ Tiffany wondered, kneeling by his side and shaking him. “Uh, hello? Mister? Are you okay?”

“Nnnnn…” the man groaned, eyes slowly fluttering open. “Guh… Cinnamon buns are not currency… Not yet, anyway…”

“…Huh?” Tiffany tilted her head to the side, scared. _Does he have a concussion or something? I don’t think there’s a hospital in town, now that I think about it._

“Nah, mom… Just give me…five more minutes…” the Wingull man groaned, head flopping back on the sand.

“Um… Mister Wingull?” Tiffany shook him again.

“Guh…”

 _Maybe I should get help,_ she decided, getting back to her feet. “I’ll be back, mister Wingull. Just stay here.”

She dashed away, going up the slope and searching for anyone nearby. She soon came across Blake, who was watering the flowers near Re-Tail.

“Blake! There’s someone washed up on shore! I think he needs help!” she cried.

“Huh? Tiff?” Blake looked up from his watering. “…Is it a Wingull guy? Ragged blue shorts, bird beak charm around his neck?”

“Yeah,” Tiffany nodded.

“That’s just Gulliver. He pops up every now and then, no need to panic. He’s just fine,” the Typhlosion man explained, continuing his watering. “It’s normal to see him washed up here. Probably fell off his ship again. He’ll be gone and then back again soon enough. Don’t worry too much about him.”

“…Really? He’s not hurt or anything?” Tiffany questioned, uncertain.

“Gulliver is just fine. Just leave him alone. He’ll vanish in a while and then wash back up in a few days,” Blake explained. “Guess one of us should’ve mentioned him to you.”

“Yeah…” The Dedenne girl sighed in relief. _At least it wasn’t an emergency. Thank goodness!_ “…Still, shouldn’t someone take care of him until he gets up?”

Blake sighed, annoyed. “If you really want me to, I’ll go get him after I’m done here. Seriously though, he’s just fine.”

“Thanks, Blake. That’d make me feel better,” Tiffany admitted. _At least that guy will be okay._

.o.o.o.o.

“3,330 bells?! For all these shells?”

“Yep! They’re a pretty good source of income if you can’t get a hold of anything else,” Reese explained, accepting the shells the orange-haired girl gave her.

“Oh… I guess I should’ve done this earlier,” Tiffany admitted, gratefully taking the cash the Girafarig woman gave her. “Thank you.”

“No, thank you, mayor,” Reese countered playfully. “Have a good evening.”

“I will!” Tiffany cried, dashing out the door.

Spotting Kirk near the pond, she headed over to see him.

“Feeling better now that the rain is gone?” she asked.

“Eep!” The Gliscor boy jumped, looking over his shoulder to see her. “Oh! Hi, mayor! Yeah, I’m feeling loads better now!”

“That’s good,” the Dedenne girl smiled. She noted the net in his pincers. “What are you doing? Trying to catch bugs?”

“A mosquito, actually. I kinda want to see if I can keep one as a pet,” Kirk admitted shyly. “Been kind of a secret dream of mine as a kid. It’s dumb, I know.”

“A…mosquito?” Tiffany’s fingers bumped the glass jar in her pocket. _I should go give this to Blathers…but I saw another down at the beach. They seem pretty common, so maybe…_ She pulled it out. “Like this one?”

“Huh?” Kirk’s eyes lit up when he saw it. “Yeah! Just like that! Wow! You actually caught one! I have trouble because they’re so tiny!”

“Yeah, it was pretty hard to catch,” Tiffany giggled. “So, do you want it?”

“Seriously? You’d really let me have it?” Kirk asked, shocked.

“Why not? It’s your dream, right?” Tiffany reminded.

“…Thanks,” Kirk took the jar before pulling out some bells. “Here! I’d feel bad not giving you something for it. 104 bells aren’t a lot but…”

“It’s okay. Take good care of your dream, yeah?” Tiffany said, accepting the money given to her.

“I will! It’s extra special now because I got it from the mayor!” the Gliscor boy declared with a toothy grin.

.o.o.o.o.

“Ugh! Was that thing on me?!”

“I think so,” Tiffany shrugged, plucking the flea from her net and dropping it in a jar. _I didn’t think Steel-types could get fleas._

Cora gagged, shivering. “Oh dear! That’s disgusting! I need a shower!” she declared, walking away quickly. “Maybe I got it from Isabelle…”

Sighing, the Dedenne girl looked through the glass jars she had with her. A tiger butterfly, a mosquito, and a flea greeted her. They hadn’t been very hard to catch, though she’d apparently distressed her Mega Mawile neighbor with the capture of the flea.

 _Maybe I should ask Isabelle about the flea later, in case she does have them,_ Tiffany noted, tucking the jars away in her pockets and shouldering her net.

The town hall wasn’t far away. Heading over, she approached the Lillipup girl. “Isabelle?”

“Oh! Hi, mayor!” Isabelle greeted from behind her desk. “Can I help you?”

Tiffany pulled out the jar with the flea in it. “I caught this near Cora. She thought you might have them.”

“Huh?” Isabelle looked close at the jar before freezing. “I don’t have them, but my dad does. Oh no! Don’t say I got them from him!” She dug through her hair and clothes in a panic. “I’m not feeling itchy or anything. Maybe I only had the one and it jumped on Cora earlier?”

“Well, I caught it,” Tiffany reassured.

“Just don’t lose it. We don’t want a flea infestation in town. My dad’s working on killing the ones he got earlier,” Isabelle explained, keeping her voice down in case anyone else was nearby. “Don’t tell anyone he has them, please?”

“I won’t. Your secret’s safe with me,” Tiffany vowed.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” the Lillipup girl squeaked, smiling gratefully.

“No problem,” the Dedenne girl smiled back.

.o.o.o.o.

Catching a common butterfly on the way back to her tent, she headed south and found another slope toward a small section of beach separate from the western beach she had been visiting up until that point. She explored it a little, picking up a bunch of shells for extra cash to get later from Re-Tail.

“A dock? I wonder if that Gulliver guy ever brings his ship here?” she wondered, looking at the stretch of wooden dock in front of her.

There was a wire basket tied to the dock. It was empty. It reminded her of the ones used to catch crabs and such.

Heading back up the slope, she headed for Re-Tail to sell the shells she’d collected. After selling the shells, she noticed a familiar face looking around. It was Amy.

“Oh, hey! Nice seeing you again, mayor!” the Chikorita girl greeted.

“All unpacked?” Tiffany asked.

“Mostly,” Amy shrugged. “Looking for some bargains here. Some new furniture wouldn’t hurt. Mine’s pretty old and worn. Plus, bargain hunting is fun. One of the perks of a secondhand shop, you know?”

“Yeah,” Tiffany nodded. “Good luck with your hunting.”

“Be seeing you around,” Amy agreed, returning to her hunting.

Leaving Re-Tail, Tiffany went north to Main Street in order to drop off the bugs she’d caught to the museum. Going inside, she paused briefly at the sound of snoring. There was Blathers, snoozing while standing in his usual spot. Glancing outside to confirm night had fallen, the Dedenne girl gingerly approached him and shook his shoulder.

“Blathers, get up. It’s nighttime.”

“Huh? Ngh…” Blathers’ eyes opened and he yawned, arms and wings stretching tiredly. “Nnn… Night already? Feels like I just fell asleep. Oh well…”

“Sorry to wake you,” Tiffany apologized, shoes scuffing the tiled floor of the museum guiltily.

“Huh? No, it’s okay. No need to apologize. My sleeping habits are to blame, not you,” Blathers reassured. “So, here to make more donations?”

“Yep! This time, I’ve got bugs for you.” Tiffany pulled out the jars.

“Ooh!” Blathers’ eyes lit up as he took the four jars, inspecting them all. “…Where’d you get a flea from?”

“That’s a secret,” the Dedenne girl giggled.

“Ah! Not my place to ask, anyway,” the Noctowl man shrugged. “Excellent, excellent! You’re really on a roll with these donations, you know. That’s good. The Chokewood Museum will be back to its previous glory in no time at all if this keeps up.”

“Glad to know I can help,” Tiffany said, smiling.

“And thank you very much for doing so,” Blathers replied gratefully. “I’ll set these up on display immediately.”

.o.o.o.o.

“So, you’d like to send two letters to people in Chokewood? Well, I think you remember what to do. Just put your letters in the red box when you’re done and I’ll have them mailed off promptly,” Pelly explained.

“Thank you,” Tiffany smiled.

“You’re welcome!” the Pelipper woman replied.

Tiffany pulled out two letters she had written only a short time ago. She scanned through them, making sure she had said all she had wanted to say to them.

The first was to Percy.

Dear Percy,

Thank you very much for the dresser. I wasn’t expecting such a large gift for a delivery job. Thank you very much.

Sincerely, Tiffany

The second was to Amy.

Dear Amy,

I’m glad to see a new face in town. Thank you for moving here. Now I’m not so alone in getting used to this new place.

I hope you enjoy it in Chokewood. I’m sure we’ll become good friends.

Sincerely, Tiffany

Dropping both letters in the red box, she smiled before heading out of the post office. The sky was a deep indigo color and the wind was growing colder. Night was upon Chokewood once again.

The Dedenne girl raced home, eager to see what tomorrow would bring.


	5. Day 5, June 12th

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter only had a tiny bit left to write, so I decided to do that fast and upload this too. Currently discontinued but hopefully I can get back to it one day.

Tiffany scurried out of her tent that morning, eager to get out and do something. Not only that, but today was the day she would be getting her new house built. No more living in a tent!

Seeing the flag on her mailbox up, she went over and pulled out a letter in her mailbox. It was from Blake.

Dear Tiff,

I’m sorry for what happened before with those kids. I was upset and I let my anger get the better of me. I’m glad you’re okay and aren’t mad at me, even if you deserve to be.

If I feel I need to talk to you, I’ll be sure to do so. Thanks for being so patient with me. Things have been rough in the past few years for me. Maybe one day I’ll gather up the nerve to tell you more about it, but not right now.

Thanks for the letter. It’s nice to see our mayor is willing to do that for us residents, keeping contact like this. Feel free to come over sometime. Maybe we could hang out?

From Blake

Tiffany smiled. _Sending letters sure is a good way to keep up communication here._

“Ah, there you are! We’re ready to begin construction on your home, mayor!”

The Dedenne girl jumped, whirling around. Behind her stood Tom Nook along with a few muscle-bound men in khaki uniforms—a bunch of Timburr. They had a heap of construction supplies with them.

“Oh! Already? That’s good to hear,” Tiffany chirped merrily.

“We should be done in a few hours, so if you’d just go about your business in town as usual then we’ll get started,” the Sentret man explained.

“All right then. Good luck!” Tiffany wished.

She scurried away as the Timburr men moved in to set up the perimeter. Tom Nook stayed off to the side, giving orders and correcting things. Tiffany giggled at the strange teamwork before going east toward the Town Hall.

 _I should see if that new neighbor is moved in yet. Nigel, right?_ Tiffany thought.

Failing to net herself a grasshopper along the way, she stopped briefly by the pond outside Kirk’s house when she saw movement. A pondskater danced along the surface, skating and diving gracefully. Pulling out her net, Tiffany smacked the water multiple times in an attempt to net the swift insect. Just as she was about to give up, her net crashed over it at last.

“Yes!” she cried in triumph, jarring the elusive bug. “They should call you pondskiers, not pondskaters. You can’t skate on water. You ski on water.”

Tucking the jar away in her pocket, she continued toward the town hall. She was briefly distracted by a common butterfly circling her head, but it was an easy catch compared to the pondskater. Just as Nigel’s home came into view, she saw Kirk jogging around.

“Hey! Have you seen our new neighbor yet?” she greeted.

“Huh? Oh, mayor! Hi!” Kirk waved a pincer in greeting. “No, I haven’t. I was just wandering around. I heard that your house is being built. Can’t wait to see that! Always wanted to see the inside of a mayor’s house.”

 _It’s no different than the inside of any other house,_ Tiffany reflected with a giggle. “Well, it should be done in a few hours. Feel free to come over whenever. You know where it is, right?”

“Yep! Yours is the one by the stone bridge that crosses the river to the west!” the Gliscor boy recited with a toothy grin. “Just come grab me whenever. I should be home after 2 PM.”

“I’ll remember that,” Tiffany promised.

“Good! See you then,” Kirk declared before jogging away.

Taking a breath to compose herself, she approached Nigel’s house. It wasn’t very big and had a pale blue roof to it. Knocking on the door, a masculine voice called her in. Pulling open the door, she did as she was told and entered.

Much like the inside of Amy’s house, Nigel’s house had boxes stacked all over. Nothing was unpacked yet. At the very center of the house, checking over the boxes, was Nigel himself.

He was tall with tidy red hair that had a thick green stripe along the top of it. She could see sharp teeth in his mouth as he muttered, gnawing on a sharp fingernail. He wore a frayed-looking yellow sweatshirt with the sleeves cut off, revealing the blue feathers coating his arms, and ragged-looking yellow pants with tufts of blue and green feathers sticking out from the leg cuffs. A long red tail with a fan of blue feathers at the end swung nervously behind him.

“Oh, where is it? I know I put that box over here!” he muttered, looking around in slight panic.

“Um, excuse me?” Tiffany dared to speak. _Is he…an Archeops? No way. Those things are so rare!_

“GAAAAH!!”

Nigel jumped, shooting straight up to cling to the rafters of his ceiling. The feathers on his arms and under his clothes rose up, making him look far larger than before. Tiffany yelped, tripping over a box and falling flat on her butt. She stared up at him in shock, mouth agape.

“…I’m sorry,” she squeaked. “I didn’t mean to scare you, mister Nigel.”

“Scare me? You didn’t scare me. I greet all of my guests like this,” Nigel shakily said, carefully unhooking his legs from the rafters and dropping down to the floor. “Though seriously, you frightened me. Don’t sneak up on me like that. I may not be an old geezer but I’m no spring chicken either.”

“But you said I could come in. I knocked,” Tiffany pointed out.

“I did?” The Archeops man paused, thinking it over. “…Maybe I did. Automatic response to noise. I tend to hear things, so I call out to see if anyone’s really there or not. Most of the time, no one is. Sorry, I guess I dismissed your knocking as some imaginary noise I had heard.”

“That’s okay. At least nobody got hurt in all that panic,” Tiffany sighed before her ankle suddenly throbbed. “Ow! Maybe I was wrong…”

“Oh! You’re hurt! I’m so sorry! I—”

“No, it’s not your fault, Nigel! This happened a few nights ago!” Tiffany reassured, raised a hand to silence the older man. “Really, you’re not to blame. I guess tripping made it hurt again. Just when I thought it was getting better, too…”

“Oh,” Nigel sighed in relief. “Here I thought I’d manage to hurt someone on my first day here. That wouldn’t be a good impression to make, now would it?”

“Yeah, it wouldn’t be,” Tiffany agreed, massaging her throbbing ankle.

“Well, it seems you know who I am…but I do not know you,” Nigel noted curiously.

“Oh! I’m Tiffany, the mayor of Chokewood,” the Dedenne girl greeted.

“M-m-mayor?!” Nigel yelped. “Oh my goodness! I nearly hurt the mayor! Oh, just my luck! How could I have?!”

“Nigel, relax! I’m fine!” Tiffany cried, pushing herself upright to seize the man’s arm and calm him. “I’m okay. It’s just a hurt ankle, nothing serious. I’ll be fine in a few days. You did nothing wrong.”

“…Sorry. Nervous breakdown,” Nigel muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. “Oh, I’m just a wreck suddenly. Here I want to make a good impression and all my issues are cropping up one after the other. In front of the mayor, no less! What a mess this is, what a mess!”

“It’s okay. Nothing’s ruined. I won’t tell anyone,” Tiffany promised.

Once Nigel had sufficiently calmed down, he dared to speak again. “So, you’re the mayor I’ve heard about. I always wanted to come to Chokewood, but I wasn’t brave enough. With all the bad press about this place, I never thought I’d get the chance to finally visit. Then I heard about you, a fresh new mayor looking to make Chokewood livable again, and I knew this was my chance. I couldn’t wait to move here after hearing that.”

“Wait! Bad press? Make Chokewood livable?” Tiffany repeated. “Where did you hear all of that from? What bad press?”

“Why, all the rumors and bad publicity this place got nearly a decade ago. A bunch of people vanished, you know? No trace of them was ever found. Just gone, all in a group, in one night,” Nigel explained gravely. “It was terrifying. Just a whole string of disappearances. It spanned weeks, months even! Nobody could get any answers because nobody here was willing to talk. Then it all ended about five years ago, but the bad publicity killed this place. Nobody wanted to come here anymore. It became a ghost town outside of a few residents that wouldn’t leave or some brave souls that dared visit.”

 _Strings of disappearances? No trace ever found? Could this be part of that taboo event?_ Tiffany wondered. “Do you know anything else about those disappearances? Or anything that may have happened here around that time?”

“Nothing except what I just told you. Like I said, nobody here wanted to talk. It’s only natural that news of the disappearances would get out. Anything else was kept behind closed doors,” Nigel admitted.

 _And so I have more pieces to the puzzle,_ Tiffany decided. “And where did you hear about me from? I haven’t even been here a week yet.”

“Why, from Delia! Who else?” the Archeops exclaimed.

“Delia? Delia knows I’m here? But…how?” Tiffany yelped in shock.

Delia the Deoxys was a famous reporter in the area. Tiffany could recall watching her news feed as a child. The woman was usually seen in her Attack Forme and, though sweet on the outside, was quite the firecracker of a person if confronted. She could talk down anyone and was legendary in being able to find noteworthy information on a minor subject. To think that such a person had reported on her…

“Is me being the mayor here such a big deal?” Tiffany asked.

“Well, everyone kept saying Chokewood would die off once the old mayor retired. Some didn’t even think it would survive the past five years after all those disappearances stopped,” Nigel replied. “To hear that such a place has not only managed to thrive this long after such a disaster but secured itself a new mayor is quite a shock. I didn’t believe it at first. I’m glad to see it was true.”

“…You said you always wanted to come here?” Tiffany commented.

“Well, you see…I was born here quite a long time ago. My family up and moved not long after I was born, but I remember this place all the same,” Nigel explained. “I used to climb these apple trees when I was small. My old house was actually in this area. I heard it was torn down sometime during the hunt for the missing people all those years ago. A lot of houses met that fate.”

“Oh… I’m sorry to hear that,” Tiffany apologized, head hung lowly and hands wrung in front of her.

“No worries. I understand why they did it. It was for a good cause, even if it was fruitless,” Nigel said, looking up at the ceiling with a small smile. “When I was approved to move here, I decided I was going to rebuild right on the spot where I was born. I want to live out the rest of my life, right here in my birthplace. I want my boys to see this place.”

“Your boys?”

“Yes,” Nigel chuckled. “I have two sons. They’ll be here when I’m done unpacking in a few days. Their mother’s too ill to come here right now but when she’s well, I’ll bring her here too. I want my family to see this place. This lovely place that brought me into this world.”

Silence reigned briefly before Nigel suddenly laughed.

“I’m sorry. I guess I’m a bit too sentimental. Rambled on a bit right there, didn’t I? My apologies, mayo—”

“Tiffany,” the Dedenne girl stated. “You don’t have to call me mayor. Just Tiffany is fine, if you want.”

“…Tiffany,” Nigel repeated, smiling. “What a beautiful name. I think my wife would love to meet you. She and the boys are back in Rosedale with family. Once the boys are here, I’ll introduce you.”

“I’d love to meet them,” Tiffany said with a smile.

“Well, sorry for taking up your time. I should get unpacking. You’ve probably got things to do, too,” Nigel relented, turning back to his boxes. “Thank you for coming to greet me, Tiffany. I’m sure Chokewood will thrive well under your care.”

“…Thank you,” Tiffany whispered. “Have a nice day.”

“You too,” Nigel stated with a wave of his tail, bent over a box as he inspected its contents. “…Aha! I knew this was the box! Thought you could hide from me, eh?”

Tiffany bit back a giggle before leaving the house. As soon as she shut the door, Nigel abruptly called out the same way he had when she’d knocked earlier. She left his home behind, her mind set to another task given to her earlier by Isabelle.

_“You want me to plant trees? Aren’t there enough of them in town?” Tiffany asked._

_“Yes…and no,” the Lillipup girl replied. “You see, the residents want an equal balancing of woodland and town property. A few years ago, a good amount of the trees in Chokewood were cut down without just cause. The ones that survived are old and the ones still bearing fruit are trees we all planted years ago. It’d be nice to have some new ones planted to replace the old ones that may die soon.”_

_“Oh… I get it,” Tiffany nodded. “Okay then. Anywhere in particular I should plant at?”_

_“Among the other trees and in any empty patches of land. Not too close to homes, though,” Isabelle instructed. “On that note, can you also plant this one?”_

_Isabelle pulled out a deep red apple that seemed to almost sparkle in the light. Tiffany took it carefully, looking it over. She’d never seen such an apple before._

_“That’s a Perfect Apple, Tiffany. They’re very rare and hardly ever grow, especially in this area. There used to be a few…but they were chopped down,” Isabelle explained, ears lowered sadly. “Sometimes they’ll grow from normal apple trees. My dad found this one a few days ago and asked me to pass it along to you. Can you find somewhere good to plant it? It’s really important.”_

_“I will. I promise,” Tiffany swore, stowing away the apple. “You can count on me, Isabelle. I’ll get this planted in the best spot in town ever. Just leave it to me!”_

Tiffany sighed as she buried another apple in the ground. She had already planted two others, just to ensure there would be more trees to replace the old ones in the coming years. Wiping her hands off, she pulled out the Perfect Apple.

 _Find somewhere good,_ she recited in her head.

She suddenly crashed into someone. Both of them hit the ground hard. The Perfect Apple dropped into Tiffany’s lap, safe and sound from the impact.

“Ow!” Tiffany whined.

“Oh dear! I’m so sorry, mayor! Are you okay, dear?”

Tiffany looked up to see it was Sheila. The Sawsbuck woman held out a hand, pulling the young mayor to her feet. She paused upon seeing the fruit in her hands.

“Is that…a Perfect Apple?” she asked, amazed.

“Yes, it is. Isabelle asked me to find a good place to plant it,” Tiffany explained.

“Ah,” Sheila nodded in understanding. “Isabelle made a good call. I’m sure you’ll find someplace truly wonderful for it to grow.”

“I hope I do,” the Dedenne girl admitted.

Sheila sighed, turning away. She gnawed her lip nervously, looking in the distance. Brushing herself off, Tiffany noticed the weird behavior from her neighbor.

“Sheila, are you okay?”

“…No, I’m not,” the Sawsbuck woman admitted. “Amy, our new neighbor, came by my place earlier. She wanted me to help her get something. I have what she wanted with me right now, but I’m afraid I’m just too busy to get it to her right now. I’ll feel awful if I don’t get this to her…but I’ll feel the same way if I don’t finish sprucing up my home.”

“I could get it to her,” Tiffany volunteered.

“What about planting the Perfect Apple?” Sheila questioned, concerned.

“It can wait a bit. It won’t wither anytime soon,” Tiffany reassured, tucking the fruit away in her pocket. “Besides, maybe I’ll find the perfect spot to plant it along the way.”

“…All right, if you say so. Please get it to her before the day ends,” Sheila requested, handing over the wrapped gift.

“Will do,” Tiffany promised, accepting the gift.

.o.o.o.o.

“These bugs are so hard to catch!” Tiffany complained.

She had encountered a dragonfly, a cricket, and a common butterfly on her way to Amy’s house. Out of all of them, she only caught the butterfly. The dragonfly had zipped north over the river, evading her entirely. The cricket had vanished into the long grass, disappearing from sight before she could get her net over it.

Doubled over just across the bridge, she caught her breath before noticing a weed in front of her. Recalling Blake’s dislike of them, she reached over and pulled it from the ground. Straightening up again, she headed for Amy’s house just a short distance north of her.

Her hopes of a quick delivery died when she saw the notice taped to the Chikorita girl’s door.

Out on a snack run! Be right back! –Amy

 _So much for that,_ Tiffany thought glumly. _I guess I have to hunt for her around town._

.o.o.o.o.

“…What the heck is this thing?”

Tiffany looked at the weird wooden thing she had dug up just behind Amy’s house. It had bent arms, one pointing up and one pointing down, two holes for eyes, and a hole for a mouth. It looked like a brown dancing cactus. The filthy tag attached to it called it a “mega squelchoid”.

“Maybe Reese at Re-Tail will know what this is,” Tiffany muttered.

.o.o.o.o.

Tiffany found herself once more amazed at the beauty of bugs. Sent on a brief chase by a big ant-looking thing, which she sadly lost track of, she came across a blue and red-colored butterfly. It had taken her a few minutes of stalking to properly net it but she did it in the end. She had caught herself an agrias butterfly.

“Blathers is going to be so amazed at my bug-catching skills,” she giggled.

Spotting a pair of dig spots nearby, she swapped out her net for her shovel and got to work. The first was a fossil. The second was another wooden thing, the tag declaring it to be a “mega gongoid”.

“Seriously, what are these things?” she muttered to herself.

Heading north toward the train tracks, the Dedenne girl stopped short when she saw something strange near the event plaza. It was a large cylindrical tent covered in red and yellow markings that almost resembled eyes. She curiously approached, hair and tail bristling nervously. The flap at the front abruptly rolled up, making her jump in surprise.

“What the heck is this? This wasn’t here yesterday!” she squeaked.

“Keeeeeeee hamo-ata. Keeeee haaaaaaaaaaaamo-atata. Yee heh ha ta ta ta.”

“Eeeeeeek!” Tiffany whined, shivers shooting up her spine at the strange voice coming from inside the tent. _What is that thing? What’s making that creepy noise?_

Despite her fear, curiosity rose up. Nobody else was investigating it. Maybe this was normal, like Gulliver washing up on the beach. There was really only one way to find out.

She reluctantly scampered forward and entered the tent, the flap rolling shut behind her.

The inside of the tent was dark, lit only by a pair of candles. The floor and walls had strange circles and runes painted on them. Behind a cloth-covered table, flanked by two tables covered in books and bearing the candles giving light to the room, was a woman.

She was tall and thin, her skin almost looking gray in the candlelight. Her red lips were puckered up as she continued her strange chant. She had a red headpiece with three bulbs on it, one on top and one on either side, atop her head. She wore a red band of cloth around her chest, and puffy red pants with a yellow spot on the knees and yellow bands next to the hips.

 _Is that…a Medicham?_ Tiffany wondered, daring to step closer.

The woman, deep in her chanting, suddenly blinked. Lowering her hands from their clasped position in front of her, she looked up and saw Tiffany. Her eyes widened in wonder.

“You… Oh my, you…are being surrounded by the bright aura of many stars. I, Katrina, will reveal your future and the way to capture fortunes untold,” the woman stated. “All I ask are 500 bells in exchange for my services.”

 _A fortuneteller? And here I was scared,_ Tiffany giggled to herself. She dug out the money. “Why not? I’ll do it, please.”

The Medicham woman accepted the bells. “Very well. Let me bring your star matrix into view. Have a seat…”

Tiffany did as she was told, sitting in the cushioned stool before Katrina.

The Dedenne girl recalled fortunetellers visiting her old town. She had always been fascinated by them. To be able to see into the future was an incredible feat. Though many declared it to be a farce, she had always been willing to get her fortune told. Even if it didn’t come true, the experience was exhilarating for her. She had always wanted to be able to see into the future.

“Keeeeeeee heh ha mo-atata… Keeeeeee ha ha mo-atatata… Eee na ro sheho-to bati…” Katrina chanted, body swaying back and forth hypnotically. “YEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”

Tiffany jumped at the sudden screech. The candles suddenly grew brighter, nearly blinding her with the sudden burst of light. Katrina bolted up, arms outstretched at her sides as if possessed. Violet smoke rose from her body before dissipating into the air.

The candle suddenly went out. The alchemical circle on the floor suddenly lit up, glowing a soft blue color. Everything else in the room seemed to fade away, leaving Tiffany and Katrina floating in a void. Stars twinkled around them.

“Whoa…” Tiffany whispered, looking around in awe. _Best fortunetelling session ever…_

Katrina spoke, recapturing the young girl’s attention. “…Aha. Yes… It has come into view… A relaxing salon…quietly opens for business… The bags under the costumer’s eyes slowly disappear as they nap… From this place, I can see the signs. Oh yes, I can… I see good fortune upon health… Iconic accessory… This item will be the key to truly unlocking your good fortune…”

Everything suddenly faded away. Tiffany blinked, rubbing her eyes tiredly. The candlelight was low but soft on her sleepy eyes. They were back in the tent, Katrina watching her with a small smile. Forcing herself to straighten up, Tiffany faced her.

“May happiness find you and yours…And remember that bad times…are just times that are bad,” Katrina said.

“…That was incredible. Thank you,” Tiffany whispered, shakily getting up from the stool.

Katrina suddenly reached out, grabbing the girl’s sleeve before she could leave the tent. There was worry on her face.

“Beware of the darkness that lurks in the past, for it consumes all that draws near it like a black hole. No good will come of such curiosity. Only ashes remain there. Stay in the light, for it will keep you safe. To linger in the dark is to dance with destiny…and destiny is not always kind to meddlers…”

 _The darkness that lurks in the past? Meddlers? Could she mean the taboo event from five years ago?_ Tiffany realized. “Do you—”

“No good will come of such curiosity. Resist it…before it swallows you whole,” Katrina whispered, eyes wide in terror. She released Tiffany’s sleeve, withdrawing behind the table. “Stay in the light, young one. Stay in the light…”

 _Stay in the light? What could that darkness be?_ Tiffany wondered as she slowly left the tent. Katrina’s horror-struck eyes refused to leave her mind. _Could that taboo event really be that horrible?_

.o.o.o.o.

“I’m afraid that’s true. Because the name change was so sudden, some don’t properly recall that Ashwood and Chokewood are the same. Thus all of those events are traced back to Chokewood, leaving Ashwood to be the town that simply disappeared.”

Tiffany looked up at Blathers in shock. She had come to donate the fossil, agrias butterfly, and pondskater. Still disturbed by Katrina’s words, she brought up the information Nigel had told her. Though shocked, Blathers confirmed it as truth.

“I can’t recall how many vanished during those awful years. It was too many to count, both residents and visitors. Anyone at all that happened to be in Ashwood was a potential target,” Blathers admitted. “It was a dark, dark time for Ashwood. Worst of all, nobody ever really saw the culprit, so they were never apprehended. The disappearances just…stopped a few years back before the name change.”

“Was that why it was changed to Chokewood? To try and avoid all of that bad publicity?” Tiffany asked.

“I believe so,” the Noctowl man nodded. “Unfortunately, as I’m sure you’ve guessed, it didn’t work all that well. Everything was dropped on Chokewood’s shoulders and we residents were left with the burden of this lonesome town. Nobody wanted to come here except a few who thought they could find the culprit. That’s how it’s been here…until you arrived.”

“Nigel, a new resident, told me that Delia somehow found out I was the new mayor here. I was on the news,” Tiffany said.

“Delia? The news reporter? My, my, how did she find that out? None of her people have been to Chokewood in years. I thought we were off their radar for good,” Blathers muttered, finger tapping his chin.

 _Maybe those two kids told her or something,_ Tiffany wondered. _Aside from Rover and mom, they’re the only outsiders who know I’m the new mayor here._

“I hope this doesn’t bring more bad press. Just when we’re on the track to reform…” Blathers whimpered, tugging his hair.

“I’m sure everything will be okay,” Tiffany reassured, grabbing his arm to steady the bird man. “If it wasn’t for Delia, Nigel wouldn’t be here. Maybe this is a good thing. It might help Chokewood thrive better.”

“…I hope you’re right,” Blathers prayed. “The news and reporters haven’t exactly been good for Chokewood thus far.”

.o.o.o.o.

“Oh goodness! It’s Tiffany!” Tom Nook cried, looking up as she entered his shop. “We just got back from building your home. Your house should now be the stuff of dreams! Do go see how we did, yes?”

“I will,” Tiffany promised. _Still no sign of Amy. Just where could she be?_

“And now the numbers…” Tom continued. “I deducted your down payment, leaving you with a grand total of…39,800 bells. That’s the total amount of your loan. Not very much, now is it?”

 _39…thousand….eight hundred?!_ Tiffany wanted to faint. _I guess I…better start looking for the money rock again…_

“Of course, you don’t have to make your payments directly to me. Feel free to make them in the post office next door,” Tom Nook added. “And there’s no set schedule. Pay it off at your own pace or when you are able.”

“That’s good to hear,” Tiffany sighed in relief. _I don’t have anywhere near that much money on me right now, anyways._

“Oh, yes! One more thing!” Tom Nook recalled. “We require all homeowners to become part of the Happy Home Academy. They’ll drop by to give your house an inspection every once in a while. It’s very good to get one, actually. The inspection is a comprehensive look at your home and furniture layout, hygiene levels, et cetera. If you’re given high marks, you might receive a wonderfully elegant commemorative prize!”

“A prize? Just for keeping my house clean?” Tiffany asked, surprised. “That shouldn’t be hard to do. Not hard at all!”

“That’s good to hear,” the Sentret man smiled. “They’ll schedule the inspection, so there’s nothing for you to worry about. No worries, eh? Members also gain access to the HH Showcase behind the shopping district, which is through the big gate just north of here. Once you’ve got a letter confirming your membership, feel free to visit it at any time.”

Tiffany recalled the huge red and white curved gate. It was blocked off currently. She hadn’t paid much mind to it before now.

“I believe that’s all I have of importance to tell you at the moment,” Tom Nook said. “Be sure to visit your house and tell me how it looks. The customer should get what they want out of their house, yes?”

“I’ll check it out right away. Thanks!” Tiffany cried, dashing out the door.

.o.o.o.o.

“Amy! There you are!” Tiffany shouted, dashing toward the Chikorita. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you! Where have you been?”

“Huh?” Amy looked up. “Oh! Hey, mayor! I went to get food and when I came back, I met this cool guy so we started hanging out.”

Percy waved. “Hi, mayor!”

“Hi, Percy,” the Dedenne girl greeted. She looked at Amy. “Sheila gave me something to give to you. I’ve been trying to find you all day to deliver it.”

“Huh? Oh! Duh!” Amy smacked her palm against her forehead. “I can’t believe I forgot! Guess I got a one-track mind, huh? Ugh, now I feel bad…”

“Well, don’t. I have your gift right here,” Tiffany reassured, pulling out the wrapped gift. “Tadah! One present, from Sheila to Amy. Here you go!”

“Oh, sweet! I can’t believe she actually got it for me! Wow!” Amy accepted the gift, hugging it close. Unwrapping it, she pulled out a blue gym tee. “Yes! Percy, check it out!”

“Dude! Don’t change out here! People are watching!” the Bunnelby boy yelped, keeping Amy from pulling her shirt off.

“Oh! Oops! My bad!” Amy giggled, cheeks red. “Guess I’ll try it on later. Almost did something scarring to you guys. Heheheh…”

“Good thing you didn’t,” Percy sighed.

“Thanks for going to all that trouble for me, mayor. Here, I got some extra by mistake so you can have the rest. Your house is built now, right?” Amy asked, pulling out a thick roll of carpet. “Have some flooring for it!”

“Th-thank you! It’s beautiful!” Tiffany admitted, accepting the roll of lovely carpet.

“Good! Well, I think I’ll hang out with Percy here a bit more before I head home,” Amy decided, looking at the boy.

“See you around, mayor,” Percy said.

“Have a nice day, you two! Be good!” Tiffany replied, heading toward the bridge to get to her house. When she saw it, she stopped in her tracks. “…Wow…”

It wasn’t a very big house, but it was certainly better than the tent she had lived in for the past four days. It was a single floor white house with a bright red roof and a little picket fence surrounding it. Stepping inside, she found all of her belongings placed where they had once been positioned inside of the tent. The walls and floor were a plain wooden brown color.

“Maybe I should paint the walls,” Tiffany muttered. “I’ve got carpet now, so…”

“Sorry to intrude, mayor!” Isabelle called before peeking inside the opened door. “Ooh! I see your house is all finished now! Congratulations! Isn’t the new house lumber smell nice? That reminds me! I found some wallpaper in the town hall closet, so I decided to bring it over to celebrate your new house. Here you go!”

The Lillipup girl handed Tiffany a roll of green wallpaper with light brown paw prints on it.

“I hope you like the design, mayor!” Isabelle wished. “I can help you put it up, if you need help. Redecorating walls and floors is so much fun! There are so many cool designs out there!”

“Thanks. I might need some help, now that you mention it,” Tiffany giggled, looking around the main room.

“Well, whenever you’re ready, I’m ready!” the Lillipup girl declared.

“…How about now?” Tiffany asked.

“Sure! Let’s get started!” Isabelle nodded, eager to begin.

“I’ve already got some carpet to cover the floor. At least now this place won’t look so plain,” Tiffany reflected.

“Even if it did look plain, I bet it’d be just fine,” Isabelle argued lightly, rolling up the sleeves of her shirt.

“Maybe,” Tiffany shrugged, setting the carpet roll on the floor. “Well, here goes nothing…”

.o.o.o.o.

“Tadah!” Isabelle sang, standing up. “Now you have wallpaper and carpet!”

“It could look better, but I guess this will have to do for now,” Tiffany shrugged, wiping her brow.

The floor was covered in a brilliant pink carpet with red edging and pale pink and green designs on it. The wallpaper was pale yellow with golden-brown paw prints decorating it. Though a little strange to look at, it was sure colorful.

“Thanks for the help, Isabelle,” Tiffany said, looking at her secretary. “Maybe as payment, I can help you finish unpacking at your house. You said you still had boxes around.”

“Oh! You don’t have to do that! Really!” the Lillipup girl yelped, waving her hands in panic.

“…I heard your dad stayed here since before the name change. Why do you still have boxes to unpack? Did you leave before?” Tiffany questioned.

“…Yeah,” Isabelle admitted, looking away in shame. “I got scared and decided I didn’t want to live here anymore, so I left for a few weeks. Then I got homesick and came back. I never really unpacked after that…”

“Scared? Of what?” Tiffany asked, confused.

“…Promise not to tell?” Isabelle squeaked.

“I promise,” Tiffany nodded. _Could this be it? The taboo event from five years ago?_

Isabelle looked around nervously, chewing on her bottom lip. Then she looked directly at the Dedenne girl, fear in her eyes. “I was afraid of the monster.”

“…Monster?”

“Gah! I know, I know! It sounds stupid but it’s true!” Isabelle wailed tearfully, hands clutching her ears as her head shook wildly from side to side. “Of course, you wouldn’t know because the last mayor ordered everyone to be quiet about it but I was still scared! Waaaaaaaaaah!”

“What monster? Isabelle, calm down! You’re going to hurt yourself like that!” Tiffany cried, seizing the girl’s arms to cease her shaking.

“The monster that lives up the mountain! The evil monster that makes people vanish!” Isabelle sobbed.

 _Makes people vanish? This must be what caused the disappearances that Nigel told me about! But…a monster? Could that be what is to blame?_ Tiffany frowned, questions ringing about in her head.

Isabelle sniffed, wiping her nose on her sleeve. “I’m sorry, mayor. I shouldn’t be saying that stuff. If big brother heard me, he’d be furious. Please don’t say anything. Better yet, pretend I said nothing just now. I was lying, okay? There’s no monster or anything like that. Okay? Please, mayor!”

Tiffany’s frown deepened. _This has to be part of the taboo event…or maybe the cause? More pieces to add to the puzzle…_ She gave her secretary a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone, okay?”

“Oh, thank you! Thank you, mayor!” the Lillipup girl sobbed, scrubbing tears from her cheeks. “I, uh… I better leave. W-Wouldn’t want to cry all over your new carpet. H-Have a nice evening, mayor!”

“Same to you, Isabelle. Be careful going home,” Tiffany ordered.

“W-Will do,” the other girl promised before dashing outside to disappear among the trees.

Once the door was closed, Tiffany looked at the ground. “A monster, huh? Up the mountain…” She looked out her window to the east, seeing the mountain that rose up in the distance. “Maybe I should ask around about that place at some point. Without seeming nosy, though. Yeah…”

.o.o.o.o.

CLANG! CLUNK!

“There we go! I’m on my way to paying off my house!” Tiffany declared.

She reached down to collect the money that had come pouring out of the rock in front of her. Three sacks and lots of loose change. It totaled to 8100 bells. Stowing all that away, she filled in the holes she had dug in order to hunt for the elusive money rock.

A quick hunt around for more buried treasures yielded a fossil and a “mega bowtoid”. She had figured out that the strange wooden things seemed to just make noise. She had placed them down in her house not long after Isabelle had left, just to see what they did. They were certainly strange, that’s for sure.

Picking a few clovers as she walked, she suddenly recalled something. “Oh yeah! I forgot to go get Kirk! He wanted to see my house! I better go get him! It’s…after 2, so he should be home now.”

It didn’t take long to circle back to Kirk’s house. As promised, the Gliscor boy was inside, just lying on his hammock. He jumped to his feet when she poked her head in the door.

“Hey! Nice to see you! Is your house all built and stuff?” he questioned, excitement shining on his face.

“Yep! It’s done! Ready to see it?” Tiffany asked.

“Totally! Let’s go!” Kirk declared.

He followed after the Dedenne girl as they made their way through the trees to get to her house. Upon seeing it, Kirk’s jaw dropped. His expression got even more awed when they went inside. Tiffany giggled, setting the mega bowtoid down in a corner across from the other two mega sound-makers she had found earlier.

“Like it?” Tiffany prodded. “I know the carpet and wallpaper are weird but it’s all I’ve got right now. I’ll change it later.”

“Personally, I think it looks great. Yeah, the carpet’s kind of bright on the eyes but eh! I’ll get used to it!” Kirk shrugged, grinning. “Oh, hey! You set up my gift! You try it out yet?”

“Not yet,” Tiffany admitted, looking at the gaming system. “I’ll get to it soon. I’ve just been busy.”

“Yeah, I get it. No rush,” Kirk reassured, scratching the back of his head. “..Hey! You got a bunch of gyroids here! Cool!”

“Gyroids? You mean these things?” Tiffany indicated the moving wooden sound-makers she had dug up. “I found them buried in the ground around town. You know what they are?”

“Not really,” Kirk admitted sheepishly. “I haven’t seen many of them, but a lot of people use them for decoration. They’re kind of old, like antiques. Pretty cool-looking too, you know?”

“Well, if that’s all they are…” Tiffany sighed. _At least I had the right idea, setting them up like that._

“Do you ever fall out of bed? I know I couldn’t sleep like that,” Kirk snickered, glancing at her bed. “I’m too used to being surrounded by a hammock, just hanging there like I do. A flat, normal bed won’t cut it for me anymore. I’d roll over and fall right out!”

Tiffany laughed at the image. “I think my bed is just fine for me.”

“Eh. Whatever,” Kirk shrugged, eyeing her bed with a frown.

“…Hey, Kirk? Do you know a good place to plant something really important?” Tiffany nervously asked.

“Something…really important?” Kirk tilted his head, confused. “What do you mean? What are you trying to plant?”

“Well…this,” Tiffany pulled out the Perfect Apple.

“Whoa! A Perfect Apple! Where did you…?” Kirk suddenly smiled. “Ah! You must’ve got it from Isabelle’s old man. I heard he managed to find one. As for a spot to plant it… Hmmm… I don’t know, but I know a way to find one—let’s go look around! Come on!”

“I actually got it from Isabe—hey! Wait for me!”

Kirk darted out the door, the cloak behind him billowing open to reveal black wings. He shot into the sky, carried by the wind, and circled around the area. Tiffany yelped, chasing after his shadow and frantically trying to keep up with him. Several minutes passed before Kirk landed just a little south of her house, right by the river bend. Tiffany doubled over upon reaching him, gasping for breath.

“That…was…too…fast!” she gasped.

“Too fast? You’ve seen nothing! I can go way faster, mayor!” Kirk snickered. “But…does this look good? Since you’re planting it, you should have it close by so you can watch it grow and make sure no one damages it. Right here, you can see it from your front door.”

“Right…here?”

Tiffany straightened, looking around. The spot wasn’t very far from her house, just directly south of her. There were a bunch of apple trees around, bordering the river that curved around the western part of her home. There was a bare patch right at the center of the area, big enough for a tree to grow big and strong.

“…Yeah. This looks good! I think this’ll work!” Tiffany agreed. “But…is it wrong to plant it closer to my house? Shouldn’t I plant it where anyone can find it?”

“But anyone can find it, mayor! It’s right where you live!” Kirk exclaimed. “And everyone knows where our mayor lives! It’s the perfect spot!”

 _Yeah, I guess everyone does. Even those kids knew where I was,_ Tiffany admitted to herself. “…Okay. Let’s do it!”

“Sweet! I’ll help dig!” Kirk volunteered, pulling out his shovel. “You plant it, okay? Since the old man trusted you with it and all.”

“Is Isabelle’s dad a big deal here?” the Dedenne girl questioned.

“Yeah,” Kirk nodded, stabbing his shovel into the dirt. “His whole family was born and raised here. He served as the secretary to the mayor previous to the old mayor and was the secretary for the old mayor before his son took over. He’s been here through everything.”

“Really? Wow…” Tiffany looked amazed.

“Yeah, he’s pretty cool,” Kirk summarized. “…There! Does that look deep enough?”

“I think so,” Tiffany confirmed, kneeling down beside the hole. “So, just plant it like any other apple?”

“Yep,” Kirk chirped.

“Okay,” Tiffany swallowed back her fear. _Here goes nothing…_

Taking the Perfect Apple in hand, she put it in the hole and covered it with dirt. Patting it down so the ground was flat once more, she straightened and brushed herself off. Getting to her feet, she looked to Kirk. The Gliscor boy grinned at her. She smiled in relief.

 _That wasn’t so hard,_ she decided.

“Glad to have helped out,” Kirk said. “I should probably head out. It’s getting late. Nice house, by the way.”

“Thanks! Feel free to drop by anytime, Kirk,” Tiffany commented.

“I will. Bye!” Kirk took to the winds, flying away toward his house.

Tiffany smiled after him. Looking down at the place where she’d planted the Perfect Apple, her smile just grew.

_Maybe this mayor thing won’t be so bad. If anything, it might be good for me!_

.o.o.o.o.

“You want me to go to the beach with you?”

Isabelle blushed instantly. “Well, um… I mean, I should reward you for planting the Perfect Apple and all…and the beach is a fun place to go. If you have a fishing rod or a wetsuit, it’s even more fun because you can fish or dive while you’re there. It’s pretty relaxing to listen to the waves as you walk along the beach. You can collect seashells and stuff that wash up on the beach. I could even take one as a souvenir of the trip, for memory’s sake.”

“I, uh…” Tiffany blushed. _Well, that was unexpected. Was Cora really serious when she said Isabelle would do ANYTHING for me?_

“Oh! What am I thinking?” the Lillipup girl whined, yanking on her ears. “I’m so sorry, mayor! That was such a bold and careless request. Please forget about it! Though…if you’d bring me back a seashell the next time you went, I’d really appreciate it…”

“No, it’s okay! Isabelle, if you want to go to the beach, then let’s go,” Tiffany declared, tugging her secretary out from behind her desk.

“Huh? Wait, mayor! I have work to do!” Isabelle yelped, squirming.

“It can wait. Nothing bad will happen,” Tiffany reassured. “And if something bad _does_ happen, then blame it on me. I’ll cover for you. Now let’s go.”

“M-Mayor…” Isabelle stared at her. “…Okay. Let’s go.”

Tiffany smiled. “That’s my secretary! Come on!”

“Eek! Slow down, mayor!” Isabelle yelped as she was pulled out the door at a run.

.o.o.o.o.

“Wow…” Isabelle whispered.

“Pretty cool, huh? And look at all the shells!” Tiffany cried, scooping up some sand dollars and other shells. “Take your pick, Isabelle! You can have any of them that you want! Or have them all! That works, too!”

“All of them? Oh, I couldn’t! I only really need one!” the Lillipup girl yelped, blushing.

The two of them were on the beach south of the town hall, where the dock was located. There were lots of shells washed up on the beach. The sound of the waves was truly soothing.

“Oh! Is that…?” Isabelle bent down, picking up a smooth piece of pink coral.

“Oh, wow! That’s really pretty!” Tiffany declared.

“I think so, too,” Isabelle giggled. “…I think this is it. This is the shell I want.”

“Then it’s yours, Isabelle,” Tiffany declared, stuffing a few shells in her pockets.

“Really?” Isabelle looked surprised before smiling. “Thank you, mayor! I’ll put it in my room and take extra good care of it! Decorating a room with seashells can make for very interesting interior design. That’s what I think, anyway.”

“Sounds like a cool idea to me,” the Dedenne girl admitted.

SPLASH!

“Huh? What was that?” Tiffany asked, ears pricked to find the noise again. _Sounded like something jumped out of the water…_

SPLASH! SPLASH!

A large fish abruptly jumped from out of the waves, splashing back into the water loudly when gravity pulled it back down. That fish was followed by a few more. Fish were jumping about all over the place.

“Woohoo! Fishing time!” Percy cried as he tore down the slope, Kirk and Amy at his heels. “Oh, hey! You here to fish too, mayor?”

“Uh… I don’t have a fishing rod. I haven’t seen one sold anywhere since I got here,” Tiffany admitted.

“We have some up at the town hall, if you’re interested. You can buy one of those for 500 bells,” Isabelle offered.

“Go do it, mayor! We’ll leave you some fish!” Kirk promised, fishing rod slung against his shoulder.

Tiffany hesitated before looking at her secretary, nodding. “Okay, I’ll do it. Let’s go get that fishing rod!”

.o.o.o.o.

“There you go!” Isabelle sang, handing over the rod. “You know, fishing and bug-catching are big-time hobbies here. Well, maybe a bit more than just hobbies. A lot of people make lots of money doing that and selling their catches.”

“Nobody bothers donating to the museum?” Tiffany asked. _Poor Blathers…_

“Not really. Those hobbies bring in a lot of money,” Isabelle admitted. “People would rather get money for their catches than give them up for free. Chokewood fell on hard times a while back and we’re still trying to bounce back from that.”

“Oh…” Tiffany sighed, nodding in understanding. “Okay…” _I guess I’m on my own in helping Blathers right now…_

“Oh! Here, take these too! For the coral,” Isabelle insisted, pulling out a basket with three oranges in it.

“Oranges? I thought Chokewood only had apples,” Tiffany commented, accepting the gift.

“Recently, my mom sent me a box of oranges. She specifically told me I should share them with people because that’s what good daughters do,” Isabelle explained shyly. “Chokewood is known for the apple because it’s the local fruit…but my mother’s hometown, Rhythm, is famous for the orange! I’m sharing these with you, mayor, so feel free to do whatever you want with them—eat them, plant them, sell them, or whatever you’d like. Selling these will actually earn you more bells than apples will because oranges are foreign to this area. I hear there are people who grow a lot of rare fruits like these in order to make a nice living for themselves.”

“Well…add these to the pears I got from those kids…and I have three kinds of fruit that I can plant around town,” Tiffany muttered.

“You better hurry and hit the beach or Percy will catch all the fish before you get there!” Isabelle urged. “And…thanks again…for the trip. It was…nice…” She scuffled her feet along the floor, cheeks pink.

Tiffany smiled. “No problem. I’m off!”

“Good luck with the fishing!” the Lillipup girl wished, waving goodbye.

Tiffany darted out the door, fishing rod in hand, and headed south to the beach. Kirk, Amy, and Percy were still there, fishing rods out as they stood along the shore. Blake was there too, standing on the dock, watching the other three. He looked up when Tiffany arrived.

“You’re fishing too?” he asked.

“Yep!” the Dedenne girl nodded. “You?”

“Nah,” the Typhlosion man shook his head. “I’m not all that interested in fish. I’ll watch but you four can have at it. That new guy—the Archeops—I saw him head to the western beach with a rod. I’m guessing he’s getting in on this while he has a chance.”

“That’s good. He could’ve come over here with us, though,” Tiffany mumbled, disappointed.

“Give the guy time to get used to this place. He’ll hang around with us soon enough,” Blake reassured, resting a hand on her shoulder. “On that note, start casting. Percy and Amy are catching everything. The only thing Kirk has managed to catch is a boot.”

He pointed out the worn brown boot that sat by Kirk’s side. The purplish-blue-haired boy was grumbling, having difficulty reeling in his line with those pincers on his hands. Amy and Percy were laughing at the older boy.

Tiffany bit back a giggle, going over to join them. Casting her bobber forth, she watched the waves pull it out to deeper water. It took a while before her excitement faded.

“Hey, don’t get depressed, mayor!” Percy said, patting her on the back. “Ocean fishing can be tough. Maybe you should try in the river first so you can get the hang of it. Have you ever fished before?”

“Uh… A little, with my dad,” Tiffany replied. “But…that was when I was a kid. It’s been a while.”

“Try in the ponds in town! That’s a good starting place!” Amy declared. “Once you get the hang of it again, come on back. We’ll save some for you.”

“Not like Kirk’s catching anything anytime soon,” the Bunnelby boy snickered.

Kirk gave a fierce cry when he reeled his line in again, an old tire caught on his hook. The group burst out laughing. Even Blake joined in from the dock.

“Thanks, guys. I think I’ll try that,” Tiffany admitted, reeling her line in.

“Good luck, mayor! We’re cheering for you from here!” Amy exclaimed. “Go, mayor, go! Catch them fish! Yeah!”

.o.o.o.o.

The shadow grew gradually nearer to her bobber. It had been barely a minute since she had cast her line…but now she had a potential catch. She remained perched on the edge of the pond, her back to the town hall’s western side.

 _Come on,_ Tiffany prayed. _A little closer…_

The bobber was yanked down. Jumping to her feet, she reeling in a fast as she could. Her bobber tore free of the water, a blur of green hooked to the bottom. Tiffany gave a triumphant cry, tail wagging madly as her catch dangled in front of her. Then she saw what it was.

“…A frog?”

The poor amphibian wiggled, the hook having torn through its bottom jaw. Tiffany whined, suddenly recalling the most disgusting part of fishing—unhooking her catch.

“Ugh! It’s so slimy! Ew!” she wailed as she grabbed it.

Pulling it free of the hook, she grabbed one of her bug containers and filled it with some water. Dropping the frog in, she snapped the top on it quickly before it could hop out.

“…Now what do I do with it?” she wondered. “Maybe Blathers will want it? Does it count as a fish for the exhibit?”

.o.o.o.o.

“Yeah! I got a fish!” she shrieked.

The black bass writhed against the hook piercing its jaw. Tiffany gave a triumphant cheer before angling it over the grass, grabbing one of the big glass jars she had just grabbed from her house before she had seen the shadow in the river nearby. Filling the jar with water, she freed the bass and dropped it in. Though it smacked the glass and looked pretty uncomfortable, it was alive.

“First official fish catch here in Chokewood!” she declared proudly, looking at it. “Better get you to the museum. Maybe Blathers can help me find a better way of transporting you guys around? I can’t carry too many of these jars. They’re heavy!”

Going back to her house just a short distance behind her, she set the bass and the frog containers on the floor by the dresser. Going back out, she froze.

There was another shadow in the same spot!

Racing across the bridge, she cast her line in just a ways above it. The bobber drifted down toward it until the shadow suddenly darted forward, yanking her bobber down. Tiffany reeled in, grinning when she pulled the bobber free of the waves.

…There was nothing on the hook…

“…I missed?” Tiffany said, shocked. She scanned the clear water but the shadow was gone. “…It got away! No!”

She pouted briefly before reeling in the rest of her line. Heading back across the bridge, she decided to just go straight to Blathers with her catches. Collecting the bass and frog, she headed across the bridge and went northward toward the train station. Just as she was passing Amy’s house, something caught her eye.

Shadows in the river! More fish!

Setting the jars down, the Dedenne girl pulled out her rod and tossed out her line. It didn’t take long before a shadow approached. It was hesitant, bumped the bobber about, testing it. Then it finally took the bait, pulling her bobber under.

 _You’re not getting away from me, fishy!_ Tiffany thought, reeling in immediately.

The waves parted as a silvery scaled form emerged. The arbell steed flailed against its restraint, trying to get free. Tiffany swung it over the grass, unscrewing the lid of the bass’ jar to drop it in. The two fish smacked one another in panic. It made her feel pretty bad.

“Sorry, guys, but I don’t know how else to carry you around. You can’t stay out of water for very long, right?” she muttered, running a finger down the thick glass. “But don’t worry! I bet Blathers has a huge fish tank to stick you guys in! Just wait a bit longer, okay? I’m almost there!”

As she rose, ready to keep going, she saw another shadow suddenly rise in the river. They had all scattered when she caught the arbell steed. Were they returning already?

 _You have enough fish, Tiffany. You can come back later,_ she thought to herself. _But…the museum really needs the donations. What if it’s something I can’t catch ever again?_

After a moment of mental arguing, Tiffany pulled out her rod again.

 _Just one more, then you run right to the museum and get these guys in a proper fish tank!_ She declared to herself.

Casting her line, she crouched by the shore and waited. The shadow swam around her bobber, as if teasing her. Her hair bristled angrily. Then it began to bump her lure, cautious as the previous fish had been.

Then it struck and Tiffany reeled it in without mercy.

“Aha! Gotcha!” she screeched as the cherry salmon broke the surface, flopping against the hook. “Now to the museum with you all!”

.o.o.o.o.

“Oh my goodness! You caught that many already? And you only just got your fishing rod?” Blathers asked, amazed as he looked over the jar crammed with the three fish.

“Yeah,” Tiffany confirmed, doubled over as she wheezed for breath. “Got a fish tank for them?”

“Yes, I do. Come along!”

The Noctowl man led the way into one of the exhibition halls, the one designated for fish. There were empty tanks all over, massive and curved and beautiful. Tiffany couldn’t help but stare in awe.

“Over here! Hurry! Let’s let these poor guys free,” Blathers declared, climbing up a ladder to pop open a section of the top on one of the giant tanks. “There we are… Watch them go!”

Tiffany looked into the tank from the floor as, one by one, her three catches were let loose from their cramped jar. They scattered, swimming about freely in the giant tank. Blathers gingerly crawled back down the ladder, setting the jar down on the floor and wiping his slimy hands on his pants.

“There we are! First few fish for this exhibit!” he smiled, looking at the tank. “Now that you have a rod, we can expand this place even more. Thank you so much, Tiffany. You’re a huge help.”

“No problem,” Tiffany replied, smiling back. “Isabelle told me about…why nobody really donates.”

“I don’t blame them. I’d have done the same,” Blathers admitted, head lowered. “After Chokewood hit hard times five years ago, money became scarce. The resources here were pumped to their limit as the remaining residents tried to scratch out a living. With tourism at a low, it’s no surprise that donating here became the last thing on anyone’s mind. This place has been empty for the past five years…but now, we might finally be back in business. It’s all thanks to you.”

“I’m glad I can help, Blathers,” Tiffany said, rocking back on her heels. “I still want to find out what happened back then, to Ashwood. Despite that, I want to help Chokewood survive. My mother would want that.”

“Well, I think you’re doing a splendid job so far,” Blathers reassured, resting a hand on her shoulder. “Who knows? Maybe this empty old place will gain some attention now that we’re getting exhibits again. Maybe it’ll even be enough to take some of the pressure off of you.”

“Pressure? I’m not under any pressure,” Tiffany commented.

“Not yet, you aren’t, but trust me, it’ll come soon enough,” Blathers warned, stepping away. “But until then, continue on with doing things your way. I pray those hard days of the past never come to haunt us again.”

“…Same here,” Tiffany nodded, not really understanding it but not willing to ask any further.

.o.o.o.o.

“There! All done!”

Tiffany sat up from the ground, wiping sweat and dirt from her brow. She looked over the freshly planted orange under her hands, then across the plaza toward where she had planted the first one. Satisfied at her work, she stood up and brushed her clothes off.

“Now the event plaza will be even prettier! It’ll have oranges around it!” she giggled.

A sharp whistle made her ears perk up. Stepping back, she looked up to see a white present wrapped in a red ribbon float by overhead, tied to a balloon.

“Another one?” she muttered. “Just what could be in them? And why can’t I get them?” _Maybe I should ask Isabelle…_

.o.o.o.o.

“I guess that gem was worth a ton,” Tiffany muttered, stowing away her newly gained bells into her coin purse.

She had gotten 2210 bells for selling a bunch of sea shells and the gem. It had been an amethyst, according to Reese.

Reaching the town hall, she headed inside. Isabelle looked up from sorting papers. She smiled upon seeing the orange-haired girl.

“Hey! How was the fishing, mayor?” she asked.

“Well, I didn’t catch anything at the beach with Percy and the others,” Tiffany admitted. “I managed to catch a frog in a pond near here. Then I caught three fish in the river.”

“Oh! Really? It seems you’re catching fish without any trouble whatsoever!” Isabelle realized. “Here in Chokewood, you’ll find different fish depending on the place, season, and time of day. That just means there’s a lot to do all year long and new fish to find the longer you live here. I hope you have fun catching bugs the same way you’re catching fish, mayor!”

“I seem to be so far,” Tiffany admitted, smiling. _At least I won’t run out of things to do around here anytime soon._

“Also…I’d like to give you a present. A sort of last welcoming gift, I guess you could say,” Isabelle explained, setting a watering can on her desk. “You can use this to water the flowers in town. Even the wilted ones will be happy and perk up the next day if you give them some water. If you take good care of them and give them water, sometimes a new flower will bloom. And sometimes one will even bloom in a rare color! I don’t know if you have any interest in gardening, mayor…but I really hope you’ll use that watering can!”

Tiffany took the metal can. “Thanks, Isabelle. I’ll do my best! Besides, a town should look pretty, especially if we want more people to move here.”

“Yeah! I know there are still many more things for you to learn and discover in this town. Just think about the advice I’ve given you so far, and enjoy living the life you most want,” Isabelle advised. “I’m sure you’ll figure a lot out on your own while you go about your days enjoying our town. I’ll continue to be here to support you to the best of my ability. I hope I can help you for many more years to come.”

“I’ll likely need it,” the Dedenne girl reassured. “I don’t think I could do this mayor thing by myself. Thanks, Isabelle, for everything.”

The Lillipup girl blushed. “N-n-no problem, mayor! I’ll a-a-always be h-h-here! R-r-really!”

“I don’t doubt it,” Tiffany replied.

.o.o.o.o.

“Well, put your letter in the red box when you’re ready. I’ll have them mailed off immediately,” Pelly said with a smile. “Thank you for choosing Chokewood Postal Service.”

 _Not like there’s any other postal service to use here,_ Tiffany thought, scanning over her letter one more time.

Dear Nigel,

I welcome you to Chokewood. I hope you enjoy it here despite all the changes from the town you recall as a kid. I can’t wait to meet your family when they get here. Feel free to come see me if you need anything.

From Tiffany

Smiling in satisfaction, she folded it up and stuck it in an envelope before dropping it in the box. The Dedenne girl turned, making to leave the office when she recalled something. She headed to the big machine off to the side, near the door.

“…20,000 bells should be good for the moment,” she muttered. _Paying off that home loan little by little…_

Once she had deposited that much into her loan, Tiffany left the post office and headed home. The sky was getting darker as night fell. She was grateful to get indoors just as the cold began to set in.

“At least I’m not in a tent anymore,” she commented, rubbing her arms as she pulled off her shoes.

Cutting up some apples for dinner, she ate and changed into her nightgown. Then she crawled into bed, peacefully falling asleep.

.o.o.o.o.

_Sharp teeth tore into her flesh, ripping skin and muscle from bone. A scream escaped her. The monster pinned her down, continuing to rip away at what was once her left arm. The limb was on fire, nerves screaming. She wanted it to end._

_“Just kill me already!” she shouted, tears spilling down her cheeks._

_The beast grinned, sharp teeth red with blood. “Kill you? But that’s too easy. No, let’s play a bit more first.”_

_A loud ripping noise made her writhe. Her left arm dangled from the monster’s hand, torn from her body. The beast lifted the limb, dropping it into its bloody mouth and crunching it up like candy. Then the monster looked down at her, planning its next move._

_A large hand clamped down over her face. Her eyes were blinded. She couldn’t breathe. She screamed with all the oxygen she had left in her lungs and…_

Tiffany bolted upright, lungs screaming for air. She coughed, half-choking before she recalled how to use oxygen to stay alive. She sat there in bed for several minutes, forcing her lungs to function. Her cheeks were wet with tears spilled during her nightmare.

 _What was that? The monster from the mountain?_ Tiffany wondered. _What an awful nightmare…_

She looked up from the foot of her bed, following a beam of moonlight out to the window. The mountain loomed, the moon hovering over it like a halo. Tiffany slowly climbed out of bed, approaching the window. Placing a hand on the glass, she shivered at the chill before looking at the mountain again.

“A monster that makes people vanish…” Tiffany frowned, fingers curling. “Could there really be a monster up there?”

After a moment, she headed for her wardrobe and changed. Pulling on her orange coat and slipping on her shoes, the Dedenne girl paused at the door. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and ran out into the night.

Nobody was out. Good. Tiffany didn’t want anyone to see her, not now. Everyone seemed so afraid of the mountain, of the monster that lived there. If they knew she was going there, they might stop her. As mayor, it was her job to care for the town. It may not be Ashwood anymore…but Chokewood was her responsibility now. And her first self-appointed order of business was finding out if there really was a monster up the mountain.

She reached the edge of town easily and began the hike through the woods. It was thick and branches kept catching her coat, holding her back. It almost felt like a warning.

_Don’t go. Go back home. You shouldn’t be here. Don’t go up there._

Tiffany fought through the brush, going forward. The ground began to shift, inclining up. She soon came across a beaten path, making the journey easier on her. It led her straight up the mountain. Perhaps at one time, the mountain had been a popular hiking place for Chokewood.

 _No signs of a monster yet,_ she thought, ears pricked. She could feel her cheeks warming up with static electricity, her tail puffing up with more of the same. _Maybe there isn’t one at all. Maybe it was just a story made by the old mayor to scare the residents._

Something caught her eye. Up ahead, between the trees, was a house. No, more like a cabin, old and wooden. The roof seemed to pull inward, looking like it would collapse at any moment. The windows were broken and covered in grime. The whole place looked old and abandoned.

Tiffany stopped in front of the porch. The screening in the door was full of holes, loose bits swaying in the night breeze. The cabin had an eerie feeling to it. Tiffany bristled, every instinct screaming for her to run away.

She stepped onto the porch and gingerly pushed the door open. It creaked sharply, making her jump. Nothing moved. The floorboards were splintered, some cracked or broken. She could see full boards missing, making movement treacherous. There were dark patches on the floor, like stains from lots of water. The place stunk, making her nose wrinkle.

“H-hello?” she called nervously. “Is anyone here?”

She received no reply. The house was quiet. She cautiously entered, ears folded back and head hunched to her shoulders as she shuffled in. The main room beyond the hall looked decent. Some dust covered the couch and tabletop. The furniture looked threadbare and cracked, on the verge of breaking.

The dust on the floor was disturbed. Something had passed through here recently. Tiffany’s tail bristled more as she slipped past an overstuffed ottoman, peering into the next room. It was a kitchen that was missing most of its appliances. There were rust stains on the sink. At least, she was pretty sure it had to be rust.

She turned back to the main room. A large rounded face greeted her, a mouth full of too many teeth and yellow eyes that seemed to light up the dark house. It took her a moment to realize that the…thing’s…coat was the same color as the…ottoman…

 _Not an ottoman,_ Tiffany realized too late.

The beast-like man lunged with a snarl. Tiffany screamed.

.o.o.o.o.

Blake had no clue what had woke him up—the nightmare or the frantic knocking on his door. Maybe both. He wasn’t sure.

“Blake! Blake, wake up!” Isabelle cried. “Oh, please wake up!”

Rubbing his eyes, the Typhlosion man rose from his bed and padded down the hall to the front door. Isabelle was there, Percy and Amy and Sheila with her. All of them looked scared.

“What’s wrong?”

“Tiffany’s missing,” the Lillipup secretary replied shakily. “I wanted to ask her something but when I went over there, nobody answered. So I peeked inside and her bed was empty.”

“Wait. So, she’s gone? Where could she go?” Blake asked, scrubbing his eyes tiredly.

“Kirk and Nigel are looking all over Chokewood but they can’t find her. She couldn’t take the train,” Sheila said. “I don’t know where else she could be!”

“I…think I might know… Oh no…” Isabelle squeaked, eyes watering.

“What is it? Isabelle, tell me!” Blake barked, grabbing her shoulders.

“I told her about the monster!” Isabelle cried, tears rushing down her cheeks.

“The monster? The one up the mountain?” Percy yelped.

“Isabelle, no. Why would you?” Sheila asked.

“It just slipped out. I told her to forget I said anything about it,” the Lillipup girl explained.

“But she didn’t,” Blake guessed, turning to face the mountain. “I bet that’s where she is… Sheila, take Percy home and then go grab Kirk and Nigel. We’re getting our mayor back.”

“Why can’t I come? I’m old enough! And I’m not scared!” Percy declared, arms crossed defiantly over his chest.

“That’s exactly why you can’t go. You need to be scared because if you aren’t, you could get hurt,” Blake said firmly. “Monster or no monster, Tiffany’s up there and we need to get her down before she gets hurt. Half of us should go while the other half stays in case Tiffany gets back here on her own.”

“Good idea,” Sheila said. “Come, Percy dear. It’ll be safer here for you.”

“No fair,” the Bunnelby boy muttered sourly as Sheila guided him away from Blake’s house.

“I’m sorry,” Isabelle sobbed.

“It’s fine. It was bound to come out sooner or later,” Blake said, patting her head. “Just try to remember what the old mayor said. Leave the past in the past. Got it?”

“Got it,” Isabelle sniffed.

“Good,” the Typhlosion man nodded in satisfaction. He looked at the mountain again, frowning. _Hang in there, Tiff. We’re coming._

.o.o.o.o.

“Ghhh! Agh!”

Tiffany struggled, clawing at the thick hand encircling her neck. Her windpipe was being crushed. She could barely breathe. Her kicks were weakening, her vision going black on the edges. Could this thing even feel her scratches?

It was huge, this beast. It had to be a person, at least at some point in the past. It sure wasn’t acting like a person now. It was taller, wider, stronger, and heavier than her by a mile.

Its long blue-gray hair curled around its round face, framing chubby cheeks and sharp yellow eyes and that too-wide mouth full of too many teeth. It wore a stained white shirt, a blue-gray jacket with ragged edges, blue-gray pants, and worn brown shoes. Sharp fingernails tipped its fingers, digging into the back of her neck with each minute squeeze of its large palm and sausage fingers.

It had to be a Snorlax. That was the only thing she could think of. Some kind of crazed Snorlax that had gone mad from being in the woods for too long.

This had to be the monster. The one that caused Ashwood to become Chokewood. That made all those people disappear. There was no way it _wasn’t_ the monster.

The beast slurped, tongue dragged over its lips. “Looks like a little mouse got lost and walked into the lion’s den. What a shame for you.”

The voice was thick, masculine. A beast of a man. How fitting.

“I’m glad you dropped by. I’ve been getting pretty hungry up here. Not as many hikers around these parts as there used to be. You don’t look like you’ll have much meat on you, but I won’t be picky. Food is food.”

 _He’s going to eat me!_ Tiffany realized. Was that the fate that all the others that vanished had suffered? Did this guy eat them all?

“A little twiggy, bony,” the man muttered, tugging on one of her arms hard enough to make her shoulder joint scream. “Gonna take a lot of crunching to get you down but I can do it.”

 _No, I don’t want to be eaten,_ Tiffany thought, feeling tears prick her eyes. _Mom, Isabelle, Blake… Anyone…_

The man moved his face close to hers, sniffing deeply. His breath stank of old blood and something rotting. The Dedenne felt like fainting.

“Been a while since I smelled apples.”

 _You’re not helpless,_ a tiny voice whispered in the back of her mind. _You’re a Dedenne! Do what you do best!_

 _And what is that?_ Tiffany wanted to cry out.

The beast grinned wide, displaying teeth like a Sharpedo’s. He was going to eat her, tear her apart, devour her. He wasn’t going to kill her first. He was going to eat her alive.

“Bon appétit.”

Her cheeks tingled. The voice didn’t need to answer her question. It hit her like a train. She was a Dedenne. She could get out of this! She wasn’t going to die here!

Bunching up every muscle in her body, she summoned the biggest electrical charge possible…and released it into the beast’s hand. The brief bolt raced up his arm, engulfing him in painful lightning. He roared, flinging her aside as he struggled to escape from the pain. Tiffany yelped, hitting a splintering wall and dropping to the floor.

“Sonuva—! You stupid mouse!”

_RUN!!_

Tiffany bolted to her feet and raced back through the house toward the front door. Furniture smashed behind her as the beast pursued. He was gaining. Tiffany felt the burn of her muscles working overtime.

Her coat yanked against her neck. She spun with a scream, slamming her hands into the man’s outstretched arm. Lightning burst forth, burning him heavily. He stumbled back and collapsed to the floor, smoking rising from his clothes.

Tiffany felt shocked. She…had just attacked somebody. She had never electrocuted anyone in her life. It felt good to get that charge out of her body…but using it on a person, even one trying to kill her, felt…wrong. She felt bad for the guy.

“Y… You’re…the m-m-monster from the m-m-mountain,” Tiffany said shakily. “A-A-Aren’t y-you?”

The beast didn’t respond. His chest still moved, so he wasn’t dead. Good. Tiffany hadn’t been looking to kill, just escape.

She ran out the door and back down the way she came. She was done exploring for the night. She never wanted to come back up the mountain again.

.o.o.o.o.

“Tiff!” Blake called, collar flaring up to light the path. “Tiff! Come out!”

“Please, mayor! This isn’t funny!” Sheila called.

“Do we even know what we’re looking for?” Nigel asked.

“Our mayor and that’s all,” Blake replied, teeth grit. He strained his eyes, trying to see further. “Tiff!”

“Blake?”

Everyone looked ahead. Tiffany suddenly stepped into the light, shaken and alone. Isabelle launched herself at the Dedenne with a wail, hugging her tightly.

“Hey, hey. Let’s do this back home, away from here. Please?” Kirk requested. “This place gives me the heebie jeebies!”

“Yeah, let’s go,” Blake said, circling around to herd the girls down the path. He couldn’t help but keep looking behind him, wary.

“What happened? Where did you go?” Nigel asked, looking back at Tiffany worriedly. “You scared everyone.”

“I’m sorry,” Tiffany said.

“Let’s just get home,” Blake urged, picking up his pace. “This place isn’t safe, especially at night.”

The anxious energy of the group didn’t dissipate until they were safely back in Chokewood. Isabelle and Blake urged everyone back to bed despite questions and concerns. Somehow Tiffany knew the Typhlosion man would not be sleeping tonight.

Isabelle escorted her back to her home. “Mayor?”

“Yeah?” Tiffany asked, exhaustion weighing on her.

“Can I see you tomorrow? We need to talk, just you and I.”

“Okay.” Tiffany looked at the Lillipup girl. “I’m sorry.”

“No. I am,” Isabelle argued. “I never should’ve told you. I knew this would happen.”

“I never should’ve gone.”

Isabelle fumbled with her sleeves. Fear made her fur rise. She could still see the mountain out of the corner of her eye. After tonight, it was so much more terrifying than it once was.

“Did you…?” It took a few tries for Isabelle to force it out. “Did you see anything? Anyone?”

Tiffany was quiet for a long time before responding.

“No.”

Isabelle didn’t try stopping her from going to bed. The secretary turned and obediently walked away. She would ask more in the morning, if she dared. Tonight had been rough enough.

Tiffany didn’t sleep much that night. She doubted anyone had.


End file.
